From: kamol@ipied.tu.ac.TH (Kamol Hengkietisak)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Oct 7: Amnesty decree rejected
Date: 8 Oct 1992 18:34:07 +1000
Organization: Mail/News gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: munnari.oz.au


PALANG Dharma MP from Nakhon Si Thammarat Sutham Saengprathum 
said the Amnesty Decree rejected by Parliament yesterday was 
intended to protect people who had "over-reacted" and used force 
to break up peaceful demonstrations.
 
He said the May bloodshed could not be forgotten until something 
is done about those who should be held accountable for the 
killing.
 
"We cannot just forget," he said, adding that a precedent must be 
set so that in the future, "anyone who tries to abuse power will 
pay the consequences."
 
The PDP MP said most of the protesters were peaceful and unarmed. 
He said investigation reports by three government and House 
committees had concluded that the May protests against prime 
minister Suchinda Kraprayoon had stemmed from opposition to the 
February 1991 coup staged by the "National Peace-keeping 
Council".
 
People took to the streets when the NPKC tried to perpetuate its 
power, said Sutham, and when Gen Suchinda, a member of the NPKC, 
broke his pledge not to accept the premiership.
 
Democrat MP Apisit Vejjajiva said the Amnesty Decree issued by 
Gen Suchinda was an abuse of legislative power and 
unconstitutional.
 
He said there was no emergency to justify the decree and Gen 
Suchinda could have called a meeting of Parliament to enact it.
 
After the rejection of the decree, he suggested that a full 
investigation be conducted and that those responsible for the 
shooting of protesters and those responsible for looting and 
arson be brought to trial.
 
The government, he said, must enforce the law and ensure that 
everyone is equal before the law.
 
The May unrest, said Apisit, should not be put to rest simply for 
national reconciliation. While there is still doubt, dissent and 
even anger, he said, it is essential that the issue be cleared 
up.
 
Meanwhile the Campaign for Popular Democracy (CPD) will provide 
evidence to people who want to file lawsuits against the generals 
who ordered the shooting of unarmed protesters during the May 
unrest.
 
CPD secretary-general Somchai Homlaor said lawyers of the 
Coordinating Committee of Religion for Society and the People's 
Rights and Freedom Association had enough evidence from the 
relatives of victims to sue the officers.
 
Civil lawsuits could ask for compensation for the relatives of 
victims and criminal lawsuits could prosecute officers for abuse 
of power, said Mr Somchai.
 
He said the courts will rule whether the rejection of the Amnesty 
Decree by Parliament yesterday will allow people amnestied by the 
decree to be put on trial.
 
Ramkhamhaeng University law lecturer Chusak Sirinil and Thammasat 
University law lecturer Kaewsan Atipo said the decree would not 
be retroactive because the protests and crackdown happened before 
it was issued.
 
Chusak said abuse of power charges could be lodged against the 
officers, but they could claim they were following the law to 
quell a riot.
 
"Reports by government-appointed investigation committees will be 
very useful in court," said Chusak.
 
He believed lawsuits could not be lodged against organisations, 
only against individuals who committed crimes.
 
Mr Kaewsan called on the Chuan government to review accusations 
made by the Suchinda government against pro-democracy 
demonstrators.
 
"People gathering for democracy demonstrations on streets could 
not be labelled rioters. The government must be fair," said 
Kaewsan.
 
He added that people accused of bloodshed can be freed without 
bail because they have proved that they have not tried to run 
away.
 
"Even Gen Suchinda will not need to post bail if he is arrested," 
he said.
 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai