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Amnesty bill to reignite tensions in Thailand
Sydney Morning Herald - May 20, 2013
The so-called reconciliation bill would absolve all political offenders involved in protests since a 2006 coup and open the way for divisive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to return from self-imposed exile. Among hundreds of others who would be absolved of wrongdoing would be former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, now the opposition leader, who faces murder charges. He ordered the 2010 crackdown on redshirt supporters of Mr Thaksin, which Mr Abhisit insists his government had to take to end street protests.
Prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, the younger sister of Mr Thaksin, will need to approve the bill before it is introduced into Parliament, a move that would prompt criticism by government redshirt supporters as well as opponents of Mr Thaksin, the exiled telecommunications billionaire sentenced to two years' jail on corruption charges.
Some redshirts are upset Mr Chalerm's bill would grant blanket amnesty to those responsible for the crackdown on demonstrators that left scores of people dead and hundreds wounded.
Twenty-four redshirt leaders are facing terrorism charges related to the 2010 protests but five of them have immunity as they are now MPs.
Government-list MP Weng Tochirakarn said a blanket amnesty would not bring about reconciliation and would cause suspicion, especially among those who lost loved ones.
Mr Thaksin told about 26,000 supporters who rallied in Bangkok on Sunday night to mark the anniversary of the crackdown that the government's amnesty efforts must focus on absolving redshirts facing legal action rather than protest leaders or even himself.
"Let the innocent people be exonerated. There is no problem if redshirt leaders and I are not included (in the bill)," he said in a Skype address to the crowd.
But in another Skype message to supporters a few days earlier Mr Thaksin, who is believed to be closely involved in government decision-making from his base in Dubai, made clear he wanted to come home.
"I am still drifting in the sea. Do not let me drift too long. It is cold and I want to come home," he said. Mr Thaksin pledged he would not seek any official position on his return. "Tell the Democrats [the opposition] not to worry," he said.
Rights groups have criticised the amnesty move. "Three years ago, the world saw soldiers shooting protesters and parts of Bangkok going up in flames," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
"But instead of investigating and prosecuting those responsible, successive Thai governments and the army have politicised efforts for justice and are now backing an amnesty bill that would let everyone off the hook."
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