Thailand: Human rights head proposes solutions to conflict

Saneh Chamarik, chairman of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, has issued a statement proposing three solutions to the country's current political conflict, including the establishment of a national government.

His proposal was made in the statement entitled "Thailand's Political Crisis and Future of Thailand's Democracy."

Saneh's proposal came shortly after the country's political chaos due to scattered anti-government rallies in Bangkok ended, amid two deaths and over 100 injured people in the political riots.

Saneh said based on the political conflict over the past three months under the Democrat-led-coalition government, it was found the country's Constitution had been used as a tool for monopolising power by a single party.

Or, the Constitution had been used to destroy political opponents, said Saneh.

He said these two assumptions had been the origin of the current political conflict and affected the country's democracy development.

Meanwhile, it was discovered until now the civil society, especially at the grass root level as the country's majority population had not yet directly involved with the Constitution's amendment and reform, said Saneh.

The civil society at the grass root level had only listened and commented on changes concerning the Constitution, which were prepared by academics, who were the key player.

Based on the earlier mentioned circumstance, it is the responsibility of all sections in the Thai society to mutually resolve the country's political conflict, he said.

As the current government has initiated the political reform, Saneh said he proposed the government to set up a national government, which should be participated in by all political and economic sections and the civil society, especially at the grass root level.

The national government should not include state officials or civil servants and academics as it was in the past, he said.

Secondly, Saneh said the political group should stop attacking opponents as it was not creative amid the lingeringly political problem.

Thirdly, the government should support an expansion of a public sphere consisting of the civil society, especially at the grass root level in a bid to strengthen their local political, social and economic development to weather negative impacts from the globalization, said Saneh.

Date: 16 April 2009

Source: China View News