Red-shirt leader accuses govt of saving its own skin, not monarch’s
Jatuporn Prompan, chairman of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, slammed lawmakers for saving their own skins and not actually doing anything to protect the monarchy.
He said the outright rejection of iLaw’s draft charter was just a sign that no moves will be made to solve the political unrest and protesters will continue pushing for reforms.
The “people’s charter”, sponsored by rights group Internet Dialogue on Law Reform (iLaw) and supported by some 100,000 eligible voters, was rejected at the end of the first reading.
He also said the claim that the iLaw draft was aimed at bringing back a former premier did not make sense, and accused the government of wanting to keep Sections 255 and 256 untouched so it can hang on to power.
The current Constitution’s Section 255 governs changes to Chapter 1 (General Provisions) and Chapter 2 (Monarchy), while Section 256 needs to be amended to allow the setting up of an elected charter drafting assembly.
Jatuporn also accused the authorities of intentionally allowing armed ultraroyalists to attack pro-democracy protesters just so the clash can be used as an excuse to impose another state of emergency and launching a coup.
He said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was the biggest problem, as can be seen by his conflicting actions. The premier had previously said nobody would face lese majeste charges if they criticised the monarchy, but then pounced on critics by accusing them of inciting conflict.
Jatuporn said the 2017 Constitution will most likely not be amended but will be ripped up like the 1997 and 2007 charters.
“The government and the Parliament are not sincere in defending the monarchy,” he said. “The votes in Parliament only prove that they are more interested in saving their own skins, not the monarch’s.”
