The House of Representatives special committee studying proposals for implementing a new political amnesty will on Thursday determine the necessity of forming a new committee to consider the offences and decide if lese majeste suspects should be included.
Nikorn Chamnong, secretary-general of the committee, said it would hold a meeting on Thursday to make a decision.
Yuttaporn Issarachai, who heads a sub-committee that studies and classifies acts as part of the consideration of the guidelines on the enactment of amnesty laws, said on Wednesday his sub-committee had drafted a list of names of members of the proposed committee, including judges, attorneys and representatives from the legislative branch.
The list will be presented at Thursday's meeting for approval, he said, adding the new committee, if formed, will not interfere with the justice system.
When asked if the process of forming the new committee needs to be accelerated following the death of activist Netiporn Saneysangkhom, also known as Boong Thalu Wang, who was charged under Section 112 -- the lese majeste law -- Mr Yuttaporn said everything is proceeding as planned.
Netiporn faced a lese majeste charge for participating in an opinion survey on royal motorcades in February 2022. Her request for bail was denied as the judge considered her a flight risk.
After being imprisoned in January, she began a hunger strike to protest the imprisonment of those charged with political cases. She refused medical treatment, causing her health to worsen and finally leading to her death.
Move Forward Party (MFP) list-MP Rangsiman Rome, who is the second vice chairman of the special committee that studies proposals for implementing a new political amnesty, said he would propose the committee consider Netiporn's case, which is connected to an amnesty-related matter, in Thursday's meeting.
This is to prevent those who have opposing political views and are charged under Section 112 from dying like her, he said.
Mr Rangsiman said it was uncertain if Section 112 cases would be included among those that could be granted an amnesty, adding the MFP has been proposing that the political motive behind each case should be the main factor to consider instead of its type when deciding if that particular case could be offered an amnesty.
