BANGKOK, 29 Oct 2013 Army Commander in Chief General Prayuth Chan-Ocha has urged all sides to refrain from violence while the scrutiny committee is wrapping up on details of the Amnesty Bill,which is expected to be submitted to the House of Representatives for the 2nd and 3rd readings in November.
During the Monday meeting of the committee scrutinizing the Amnesty Bill, the minority committee expressed concerns that the details of Section 3 in the amended bill were still vague on the nullification of charges imposed by individuals or organizations set up by those who staged the 2006 coup. The minority committee also showed disagreement ove the abrupt conclusion of the scrutinizing committee’s meeting.
Head of the scrutinizing committee Samart Kaeo-mechai, however, affirmed that the scrutiny had been conducted in accordance with the parliamentary regulations. He suggested the minority committee reserve their rights to speak on the matter during the second reading of the bill.
Meanwhile, General Prayuth Chan-Ocha refused to speculate on the outcome of the Amnesty Bill whether it would bring unity or chaos. He urged all sides to exercise restraint and reaffirmed that the military were not political archrivals of anybody and were ready to fight through all juridical means.
