04.07.09 Royal pardon campaign slammed by PM, senators
Source: The Nation
A signature campaign by the red shirts to seek a royal pardon for
fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra came under fire yesterday,
including strong criticism from the prime minister.
A group of senators, the outspoken Atibodhi brothers and PM Abhisit Vejjajiva separately assailed the drive to collect 1 million signatures within a month. Abhisit
said politics should be kept away from the monarchy and he deemed the
signature campaign inappropriate in politicising the revered
institution. "The petition for a royal pardon should be initiated by Thaksin or
his family as a show of remorse. It should not be turned into a
political issue with a great number of people being cited in order to
influence royal discretion," he said, in reference to the campaign to
solicit 1 million signatures. He said he would instruct
authorities to explain the royal-pardon procedures to the public, in
order to dispel misunderstanding that the red shirts can sponsor the petition on Thaksin's behalf. Meanwhile,
Kaewsan Atibodhi, a former member of the Assets Examination Committee,
and his brother Kwansuang Atibodhi, who is a university lecturer, held
a press conference yesterday to call on the red shirts to stop the signature campaign. The
Atibodhis said the campaign would discomfort the monarchy. As far as
they are concerned, such a pardon could not be granted because it would
be unconstitutional. "This is a political marketing strategy to gather signatures to pressure the [highest] institution," Kaewsan said. A group of senators also called a press conference criticising the signature campaign, which kicked off on Wednesday. Somchai
Sawaengkan, a member of the upper house, described the campaign as
propaganda that would "never lead to reconciliation as advertised". He
added that such a move would instead cause uneasiness for His Majesty
the King. Senator Rosana Tositrakul called on the red shirts to
end the signature campaign and stop involving the monarchy in politics.
She expressed suspicion over the drive, saying she "smelled something
fishy". Prasan Marukkapithak, an appointed senator,
called on members of the general public who disagree with the signature
campaign to express their views publicly and peacefully.
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