Chalerm's bill puts PM in difficult position

Chalerm's bill puts PM in difficult position

Of all his supporters and admirers, fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra can count on at least one man as "a friend in need" _ that is Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung.

The maverick Pheu Thai MP, who has never shied away from his public pledge to bring Thaksin home from self-imposed exile, tentatively plans to submit to the Lower House on Thursday his own version of a reconciliation bill which seeks to absolve all political offenders - red or yellow - who were involved in protests since 2006 of all criminal charges, legal proceedings and convictions.

All government officials, from former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to military commanders, held accountable by the red shirts for the deaths of 92 people in the May 19 crackdown in 2010 will also be absolved of all wrongdoing.

Mr Chalerm's bill also seeks to dismiss all charges brought against any individuals by order of the September 2006 coup-makers, the Assets Scrutiny Committee (ASC) or the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders.

In short, Thaksin, who was given a two-year jail term in absentia for the Ratchadapisek land scandal by the court and from whom assets worth 46 billion baht were seized by the ASC, will be the main beneficiary from this bill.

But the bill is a hot potato for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Considered a finance-related bill because it involves monetary compensation for victims of the political violence, it needs a rubber stamp from Ms Yingluck. Many eyes are eagerly watching to see whether she will sign the bill before it is submitted to parliament.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm has insisted his bill concerns only criminal proceedings and has nothing to do with Thaksin's 46 billion baht in frozen wealth, which includes a small portion, about 600 million baht worth, said to belong to Ms Yingluck. He also maintains the bill is not intended to pave the way for Thaksin to come home.

But Mr Chalerm's latest remark about the bill's objective seems to be in contrast with the message he gave to a meeting of senior police held at Impact Muang Thong Thani on May 15.

He told the police to try to clarify to people in their areas of jurisdiction the details of his reconciliation bill and the attempt to find ways to bring Thaksin home.

However, critics and opponents of the Pheu Thai Party are not convinced, especially about Thaksin's 46 billion baht in frozen assets. Section 4 of the reconciliation bill states that all charges brought against any individuals by order of the coup makers or by any agencies created by the coup-makers, namely the ASC, are regarded as politically related and hence they are to be dismissed.

The offenders or alleged offenders are to be treated as if they had never committed any offences.

The way it is written is being interpreted to mean that Thaksin has been innocent all along and all the charges against him were politically motivated and thus retroactively dismissed. Which means he was never convicted of any offence and, therefore, should be entitled to the return of his frozen assets.

Some red shirts are not happy with Mr Chalerm's bill, particularly the notion that Mr Abhisit and his then-deputy, Suthep Thaugsuban, who was in charge of security during the May 2010 crackdown , and military commanders responsible for the crackdown on the red-shirt protesters would be granted an amnesty and escape scot-free.

Pheu Thai list MP Weng Tochirakarn, a leader of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, said although he respected Mr Chalerm's opinion, he stood firm on his point that those responsible for the crackdown must be punished.

The blanket amnesty, he said, will not bring about reconciliation but will cause suspicion among people, especially those who lost loved ones.

Undoubtedly, Mr Chalerm's initiative has the full support of Thaksin. In his Skype message to Pheu Thai MPs on May 1, the ex-premier criticised the amnesty bill proposed by Pheu Thai MP Worachai Hema as "half-hearted" and suggested the ruling party should go sood soi (full throttle) in their push for a blanket amnesty.

Thaksin also moaned about his yearning to come home. " [I am] still drifting in the sea. Do not let me drift too long. It is cold and I may catch pneumonia. I want to come home. Tell the Democrats not to be worried. I don't want anything, not even any posts, if I come home."

The big question is, will Prime Minister Yingluck endorse Mr Chalerm's bill and put herself in the unerring sights of her opponents?

The first serious accusation likely to be levelled against her, should she do so, is she is committing the offence of conflict of interest because she will get back her 600 million baht in frozen assets.


Veera Prateepchaikul is a former editor, Bangkok Post.

Veera Prateepchaikul

Former Editor

Former Bangkok Post Editor, political commentator and a regular columnist at Post Publishing.

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