Democrats: Pull amnesty bills first

Democrats: Pull amnesty bills first

Police officers rehearse crowd-control tactics on Saturday, ahead of a rally planned for Sunday. (Bangkok Post Photo)
Police officers rehearse crowd-control tactics on Saturday, ahead of a rally planned for Sunday. (Bangkok Post Photo)

The government should withdraw all amnesty bills now before parliament if it is serious about reconciliation talks, the opposition Democrat Party said on Saturday.

Police officers rehearse crowd-control tactics on Saturday, ahead of a rally planned for Sunday. (Bangkok Post Photo)

Democrat spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut was responding to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's invitation on Friday for all parties in the current political conflict to hold talks on how to build a new Thai-style democracy.

The premier repeated her offer on her weekly TV show on Saturday, even as police began taking up positions ahead of a planned rally on Sunday against the political amnesty bills.

Mr Chavanond said Ms Yingluck's idea was a good one and that the Democrats had long maintained that only talks could lead the country to true reconciliation.

But in order to show her government is sincere, the prime minister must first remove all obstacles by withdrawing all amnesty and reconciliation bills from the House of Representatives, he added.

Six different amnesty bills have been proposed but so far only one, sponsored by Pheu Thai MP Worachai Hema, is scheduled for a first reading on Tuesday.

Critics of the Worachai bill say its main aim is to whitewash fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, the premier's brother, so that he can return home.

Ms Yingluck spoke Friday evening to the nation in a formal address from Government House, carried by the TV Pool. (Photo provided by Prime Minister's Office)

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said that if his party was invited to join the talks, he would first ask what would be raised for discussion.

"I would be glad to hold talks on reform if the prime minister announces that she would stop the ongoing move on an amnesty for Thaksin and his associates," Mr Abhisit said.

Ms Yingluck has said that amnesty was a matter for MPs to decide and separate from the longer-term reconciliation plan.

In that case, said Mr Chavanond, calling for reconciliation talks could be just a ruse to create a distraction while the House goes ahead with Tuesday's debate.

If this was the case, he said, the conflict would just get worse and could turn violent.

Extra police were being deployed on Saturday ahead of a protest planned by the so-called "People's Army against the Thaksin Regime". The group, which opposes the amnesty bills, has not said where it plans to gather.

The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) supports the premier's call for reconciliation but believes success would be difficult to achieve.

Jatuporn Prompan, one of the leaders of the red-shirted UDD movement, said it would wait to see who else planned to participate in the talks before appointing any representatives.

Ms Yingluck said her forum would bring together all sides including representatives of the government, all political parties, the UDD, and the yellow-shirted People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD).

As well, she said, she would invite senators, independent organisations, the private sector and academics to discuss a framework for democracy to suit the conditions of Thai society.

Mr Jatuporn said it would be hard for Ms Yingluck to persuade all of the groups she named to participate.

Some would raise many conditions that would be unacceptable to the government, mainly as an excuse to derail the plan, he added.

PAD spokesman Parnthep Pourpongpan said his group would not join the forum as he believed it was only aimed at quelling the anti-amnesty bill movement.

Noppadon Pattama, Thaksin's legal adviser, said his boss agreed with Ms Yingluck's idea to bring all parties on board the "train of reconciliation".

However, Mr Noppadon said he did not see it necessary for the amnesty-related bills to be withdrawn because the Democrat Party could still debate them and propose changes.

UDD chairwoman Thida Thawornseth, meanwhile, expressed confidence that a planed rally on Sunday would not harm the government.

She said the red shirts should stay away from the rally site to avoid any kind of confrontation.

She said the People's Army protesters were trying to build legitimacy for the anti-Thaksin movement and it would not be productive for the red shirts to confront them.

Mrs Thida said, however, that others such as the armed forces and independent agencies still had the potential to overthrow the government "but we will not let this happen."

"We will definitely not let a coup happen," she added.

Eleven companies of police were deployed on Saturday afternoon in preparation for Sunday's planned rally.

The officers were being stationed at various locations in the three Bangkok districts now under the Internal Security Act (ISA), said Pol Maj Gen Piya Uthayo, a spokesman for the police peacekeeping command.

So far, he said, no members of the People's Army had entered the three districts: Dusit, Pomprap Sattruphai, and Phra Nakhon.

Police did spot some people setting up tents and a stage at the statue of King Rama VI in front of Lumphini Park on Rama IV road and speculated that it might be one of the rally sites.

Pol Maj Gen Piya said a preliminary assessment suggested the protest could attract anywhere from a few hundred people to 5,000. They might gather at many different spots outside the districts covered by the ISA, he added.

"The protesters have the right to stage a rally, as long as it is peaceful and without use of arms," he added.

Pol Lt Col Anchulee Theerawongpaisan, deputy spokeswoman for the police peacekeeping command, said medical units would be set up at the Metropolitan Police headquarters, Government House and the parliament buildings to serve any protesters as well as police on duty.

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