House panel calls on PAD, UDD to testify on extended amnesty bill

A House committee scrutinising an amnesty bill proposed by Pheu Thai MP for Samut Prakan, Worachai Hema, will ask groups that protested prior to the Sept 19, 2006 coup to testify after MPs agreed to extend the bill’s coverage.

The People’s Alliance for Democracy ( PAD) and United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) will be called to give their views on a proposal that an amnesty also be granted to protesters who took to the streets before the coup, Samart Kaewmeechai, the committee’s chairman and also Pheu Thai MP for Chiang Rai, said yesterday.

The House committee scrutinising the bill has backed a proposal to broaden the amnesty coverage period.

The proposal was made by Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, who sits on the committee, last week.

The Worachai bill seeks to provide an amnesty for people involved in political unrest between Sept 19, 2006 and May 10, 2011.

The bill would exclude ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, protest leaders and authorities responsible for the crackdowns but include all others previously convicted of crimes relating to political violence.

Mr Abhisit proposed at the committee’s meeting that the bill’s coverage period should also include incidents before Sept 19, 2006 — the day when the military staged a coup ousting Thaksin — and incidents beyond May 10, 2011.

Pheu Thai MP Suchart Laingam-ngern, the committee’s spokesman, suggested the coverage period should start from Jan 1, 2005 and extend to cover incidents beyond May 10, 2011. The committee backed the proposal.

Meanwhile, ousted premier Thaksin and the ruling Pheu Thai Party have claimed certain elements are trying to overthrow the government by Oct 8.

Pheu Thai deputy spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard said the government’s critics are trying to use the judiciary and independent organisations against it.