Activists set to besiege parliament

Today's General News - Wednesday December 12, 2007

POLITICS / CONTROVERSIAL LEGISLATION

Activists set to besiege parliament

POST REPORTERS

A series of controversial bills will be tabled for final readings in the National Legislative Assembly today, with hundreds of students and social activists set to besiege parliament to protest against the NLA's hasty approval of the bills without adequate public participation.

Among the bills to be deliberated are the Alcohol Control Bill and legislation on the autonomy of universities, which would lead to the privatisation of Chiang Mai and Chulalongkorn universities.

Pushed by the Public Health Ministry, the Alcohol Control Bill has been opposed by the liquor industry as it will tighten restrictions on alcohol advertisements.

The bill has already passed its first reading in the NLA.

The controversial Internal Security Bill, criticised because it would allow military and government officials to legally violate the basic rights of people in the name of maintaining security, might also be debated.

The coup-appointed legislators have come under harsh criticism from legal experts and civic groups over the past few months for hastily passing or deliberating bills without thorough discussion with stakeholders.

The protests against the NLA have intensified since the imposition of the decree for the Dec 23 general election. Critics say the NLA should stop considering the bills and pass them on to the elected House of Representatives.

The NLA's usual speedy deliberation of the bills has also upset some of its members, including Chulalongkorn University lecturer Surichai Wankaeo, who yesterday submitted his resignation to NLA Speaker Meechai Ruchupan.

''Since the general election will be held in less than two weeks, the NLA is no longer justified in passing any legislation and should not pick up any bill for swift deliberation like we are doing at the moment,'' he said in his resignation letter.

A mass rally at parliament, led by the Thai NGO Coordinating Committee on Development (NGO-COD), is scheduled for today.

It is likely to be the biggest rally against the 242-member NLA since the coup on Sept 19 last year.

Several hundred social activists, members of grassroots groups and students opposing the autonomy of universities are expected to join the demonstration.

They planned to block all parliament's gates to prevent legislators from entering the premises, in a protest symbolising an end to a session of the House.

''The time is up for the coup-appointed legislators. We need an elected House to consider the bills that will largely affect our lives,'' said Jon Ungphakorn, a former Bangkok senator and the chairman of NGO-COD.

Bangkok Post