Organization: Central Michigan University
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.seasia-l
Date:         Sun, 13 Dec 1992 19:03:39 EST
From:         Elliott Parker <3ZLUFUR@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Subject:      TH: Military opposes charter amendment

=======================  Forwarded  Message  ===========================
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 92 23:08:42+0700
From: Kamol Hengkietisak <kamol@ipied.tu.ac.th>


MILITARY senators yesterday indicated strong opposition to
proposals by the House charter amendment committee to bar civil
servants from being appointed to the Senate and to reduce the
number of senators.

Deputy Army Chief-of-Staff Lt-Gen Yuthana Kamdee said there should
have been more discussion of the issue before the proposal was
made.

"If we are a real democracy, why should there be so many
restrictions? Everyone should be able to help, without someone
saying which groups can or cannot contribute," Lt-Gen Yuthana
said.

Every senator is capable and experienced, he said. They help to
screen bills and give a second opinion on them to the Government.

Asked if people should not resign from civil service before
becoming senators, Lt-Gen Yuthana said this could be decided when
the time comes, and that now is the time for everyone to work
together.

Asked if soldiers should be senators, he said soldiers are also
well-educated. "Soldiers are good citizens. Why exclude us?" he
asked.

There are already 360 MPs in the Lower House, he said.

He did not understand the calls for change and did not want to
even think about the call for the number of senators to be cut, he
said.

"People in the Army have feelings, too. If something good is said,
we are glad, but if something bad is said, we stay neutral because
it's not worth arguing about something that should not have been
said," he said.

Former interior minister Gen Sitthi Jirarote, who is now a
senator, said he did not understand the intention of the two
proposals.

He has been appointed a senator 14 times, and thought that soldier
senators had been able to use their knowledge and experience to
help Parliament, he said.

He was not worried about the number of senators being cut from 270
to 120 -- or
 the number of MPs. The important question is whether
civil servants should be allowed to be senators, he said.

Soldiers should be represented in the Senate, he said, because the
Constitution says all career groups should be represented in the
Upper House, he said.

On a suggestion that the country no longer needs civil servants in
the Senate, he said that without civil servants the Senate would
have only people nominated by political parties and it would lose
the freedom to exercise independent judgement.

National Security Council secretary-general Gen Charan
Kullavanijaya said that whatever is desired should be thought out
first before it is spoken in accordance with "democratic
principles". He said one should not hurry to make decisions on the
two proposals.

Asked if the two proposals could be considered attacks on the
military, he said everyone has the right to express an opinion,
but they should put more thought into it first.

Industry Minister Sanan Kachornprasart said he supports the
proposal to ban government officials from becoming senators.

It would be strange if a permanent secretary, in his capacity as a
senator, would join a censure motion against the Government, said
Maj-Gen Sanan, who is also secretary general of the Democrat
Party.

He disagreed with political parties being allowed to propose
Senate candidates because members of the Upper House should be
independent, he said.

Deputy Interior Minister Chamni Sakdiset said he thinks senior
government officials should continue to be appointed to the Senate
but that their numbers should be cut.

Because the officials are capable in several fields, they can help
Parliament screen legislation, said the Palang Dharma Party MP.

However, the Senate has so many senior government officials that
they have become another pressure group in the Upper House, he
added. He also said that if senators are appointed by political
parties, it will compromise the independence of the Upper House.
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