BANGKOK, 7 April 2015 – The Deputy Prime Minister and NCPO’s spokesman assured ambassadors and foreign media today that the use of Article 44 is only to maintain order, enacted with respect to human rights principles.
The Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, and the Spokesman of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) Col Winthai Suvaree today elaborated on the NCPO’s 3/2015 announcement to ambassadors to Thailand and foreign media representatives.
The Deputy Prime Minister said that Thailand has been at an abnormal situation since the past 50 years, therefore special laws are required in maintaining peace and order, as the nation is currently transitioning to achieve sustainability through reformation.
He said that Article 44 implemented to cope with an emergency situation, that could be prolonged in the long term. Therefore the government will consider all actions executed from this article in respect to the principles of human rights.
The NCPO Spokesman has said that the Article 44 of the interim constitution grants power to the NCPO Chief that will bring orderliness to the nation.
The law grants the power to the officials to conduct operations that prevent and suppress any misconducts to the monarchy, national security issues, weapons of war, and the violation to NCPO’s decrees.
On this occasion, the NCPO Spokesman asked the media to refrain from reporting any information that could affect peace and order, while assuring that the implementation of this article will not affect the general public, but will improve public confidence in security.
He also added that that all actions from the government and the NCPO Chief have always been done within the framework of human rights principle, which will help the nation’s recovery.
