The Pheu Thai Party has pledged to rewrite the military-sponsored constitution and push for an anti-coup law to ensure that military takeovers would no longer be accepted and coup makers would not be recognised as “ratthathipat” (“sovereign”).
In a statement released to mark the 10th anniversary of the May 22, 2014 coup staged by Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, Pheu Thai said coups are illegal, destroy democracy and cost the country opportunities.
The party said it does not accept coups or any actions that may lead to the military overthrowing an elected government, nor does it support amnesties for coup makers.
Coups are a crime against humanity and democracy, and never once has a coup led to prosperity rather than setting the country back, the party said in a statement read by spokesman Danuporn Punnakanta on Tuesday.
The party urged courts and other state agencies to abandon any notion of a precedent that a coup can result in a legitimate government and said it will push for the enactment of a law to ban their recognition as legitimate with a statute of limitations that will never expire.
Pheu Thai deputy leader Chusak Sirinil stressed that the time is ripe to amend the 2017 charter, which was created after the 2014 coup.
He said the party hopes that the new charter will establish mechanisms to prevent future coups before the government’s term expires.
According to Mr Chusak, the proposed anti-coup law aims to prevent coups from being accepted.
“It’s wrong to accept coup makers as ‘ratthathipat’ and let them run the country. It’s important that people stand up against it,” he said.
The Defence Council chaired by Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang last month approved a proposal authorising the prime minister to suspend top officers suspected of plotting a military coup.
The proposal would be sent to the cabinet before being submitted to parliament for deliberation.
In a related development, Move Forward Party MP Parit Wacharasindhu said three core issues need to be addressed: the “expanded power” of public independent agencies in the 2017 charter, military reforms and economic structures.
He said the opposition party has proposed bills on these issues and expects them to be put on the House agenda.
He added that the party is also ready to deliberate government-sponsored amendments to the Referendum Act to be debated during the special parliament meeting next month.
