Thailand’s Senate will reject a proposed amnesty law for political
offences when it reaches the Upper House next week, the Bangkok Post
quoted Senate Speaker Nikom Wairatpanich as saying during a press
briefing on November 5.
The Speaker said many senators have already agreed that they will not vote for the bill in the first reading.
Meanwhile, a number of senators have pledged that the senate will
carefully consider the bill to ensure the interest of the nation and the
people.
Following street protests on November 4 after the
amnesty bill was approved by the Lower House, hundreds of businesses and
organisations also submitted petitions to the Upper House asking to
drop the bill.
Earlier, the National Anti-Corruption
Commission (NACC) also announced that it opposes the bill due to
concerns over bad precedents and injustice and divisiveness in society.
NACC insists that the amnesty law will work against United
Nations’ Convention on anti-corruption to which Thailand is a member
as well as international and domestic efforts to combat corruption.
Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on November 5 called on
the senators to consider the bill in a spirit of reconciliation and
clemency to unite the country.-VNA