Senator Wanchai Sornsiri on Tuesday called on the Pheu Thai-led government to quickly table legislation giving amnesty to political protesters of all colours, saying it was time to act.
The senator said the government needed to step up and end the political polarisation. The opposition Move Forward Party (MFP) had already submitted its own amnesty bill to the House of Representatives, early this month.
The MFP-sponsored bill would apply to political offenders who faced legal action for their participation in protests triggered by political divisions, beginning on Feb 11, 2006, when the first protest was held by the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) against the Thaksin administration, up until the day the legislation takes effect.
Mr Wanchai said the government had yet to announce a position on the MFP's amnesty bill, or say if it would submit its own legislation.
"The Senate has come up with a reconciliation proposal. It involves how to address the issue and how to prevent it. The Senate proposal does not touch on an amnesty, which is the main point for those who died, were injured or faced lawsuits," he said.
Asked if the government had maybe not taken action because it did not want to appear to be helping jailed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Mr Wanchai said the proposed law had nothing to do with Thaksin.
He stressed that all parties must be cautious when enacting laws.
The senator said he suspected the government did not want to get involved out of concern that its power would be undermined.
His call followed a Bankruptcy Court ruling last week, in which 11 yellow-shirt protesters face going into absolute receivership over their role in the protests that led to the shutting down of the capital’s two airports.
Mr Wanchai said it was painful to see these individuals face such an order, because their protests were of a purely political nature.
List MP Adisorn Piangkate (Pheu Thai) said on Tuesday the government was considering submitting an amnesty bill during the next parliamentary session.
However, he had no details about the bill. Any pardon for offences involving Section 112, the lese majeste law, must first be carefully thought out, he added.