June 2007 : Thaksin’s Bt 52 billion Account Frozen The Asset examination Committee (AEC) on June 11 ordered local banks to freeze 21 bank accounts- worth more than 52 billion baht – belonging to ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra and his associates. The Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA) on June maintained a 150-seat Senate from both elected and selected and increased a number of MPs to 480 (400 from constituencies and 80 from a proportional system of representation) and changed the minimum of voters to initiate charter amendment process to 50,000. The Cabinet ordered government officials to neutrally assist the Election Commission in conducting the public referendum and asked public sectors to allow all employees to leave for referendum without considering as absent from work. The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) accepted in principle to lift a ban on political activities and the registration of new parties. The cabinet approved in principle to restore the International Security Operation Command (ISOC) to be directed by the army chief to control the movement of people, prohibit demonstrations, impose an unlimited curfew and control the trade. The Social Development and Human Security Ministry dropped their proposal to enact nation-wide Local Community Organization Councils and it is possible that the law would be downgraded to a ministerial regulations. The cabinet approved the Civil Servants Regulation Bill pave the way for major bureaucratic reform. The cabinet agreed to increase salary to all civil servants to 4 per cent starting from October 1, 2007. The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) disclosed the government has successfully provided basic education to all Thai youth. The cabinet approved on principle to privatize state enterprises excluding basic public utilities such as water supply, electricity, lottery and tobacco manufacturing. The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) passed a law on family violence with maximum jail of 6 months or 6,000 baht fine. Offence of rape is included to rape of one’s spouse and penalty would be increased to 4-20 years jail and 8,000-40,000 baht fine. The cabinet agreed to increase a penalty ban from driving to a maximum of 5 years and un-cooperative person to alcohol test can be detained by officials. Thaksin’s asset frozen The Asset Examination Committee (AEC) on June 11 ordered local banks to freeze 21 bank accounts- worth more than 52 billion baht – belonging to ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra and his associates including his wife Khunying Pojaman, his children, Panthongtae and Pinthongta, Bannapote Damapong (Pojaman’s brother) and Yingluck (Thaksin’s sister) until they can proof that these accounts have nothing to do with the alleged wrongdoing that Thaksin is now facing. Thaksin got 73 billion baht from the selling of his telecom conglomerate and some 20 billion had already been withdrawn from those 21 accounts. He is now facing a charge unusual wealth and malfeasance during his term as prime minister. The committee said witnesses and evidence convinced that Thaksin and his wife controlled Shin Corp while he was prime minister by using relatives and family associates to hold shares and during the time abused his power to benefit the company: Reduced revenue-sharing payment to government from Advance Info Service (AIS) prepaid income causing Bt 71.7 billion loss to the state. Reduced AIS revenue sharing with TOT for a Bt 700-million state loss. Converted telecom concession fees to excise tax in favor of AIS, causing Bt 30 billion loss to the state. Unnecessary rentals to TOT by Shin Satellite Company costing Bt. 700 million. Offering Bt. 1 billion in Export-Import Bank soft loans to Burma so it could purchase services from Shin Satellite. Use official overseas visits to promote Shin Satellite. Amended laws to allow foreigners to hold up to 50 per cent of telecommunication companies. The amendment became effective just days before the Shin Corp sale to Termasek in 2006. The five cases of malfeasance are: Abuse of power in the purchase by his wife Pojaman of Bt 772-million land plot on Ratchadapisek Road Corruption in a Bt 1.44-billion rubber sapling purchase Corruption in the CTX 9000 bomb scanner purchase for Suvarnabhumi Airport, causing losses to the state of Bt1.5 billion. Illegally launched two-and-three-digit lottery, causing losses to the state of Bt 37.8 billion Illegal Krung Thai loans costing the state Bt 5.2 billion. Constitution drafting The Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA) on June 7 has agreed to maintain a 150-seat Senate with senators being both elected and selected. 76 senators will be elected, one each from the provinces, while the remaining 74 will be selected. Senators term will be six years but half of the selected, 37, will have to draw lots every three years in a screening process that will allow new selections. The elected senators will sit for the entire six-year term. On June 2, the CDA agreed to multiple-MP constituency elections instead of single-MP constituency elections and increase the number of MPs from 400 to 480. 400 MPs will come from constituencies and 80 from a proportional system of representation. This differs from the 1997 Constitution, which had 500 MPs consisting of 400 from constituencies and 100 from the party list. The earlier proposal for number of MPs was 400, 320 coming from constituencies and 80 from party list. Lastly on June 28 CDA changed Article 282 on the kick-start motion of a constitution amendment from minimum of 100,000 voters to 50,000. It should be noted that the spearhead of charter amendment process is different from the 1997 charter due to the new charter allows the citizens as well as parliamentary members. Cooperation for the upcoming referendum The Cabinet meeting on June 11 agreed on the principle of the Referendum Act that to allow the government agencies to officially assist the Election Commission in conducting the nationwide public referendum. However, the officials must remain strictly neutral. Cooperation from private sectors will be sought by allowing all employees to leave for referendum without considering as absent from work. End to ban on political activity The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on June 20 voted 139 to 4 to accept in principle to lift a ban on political activities and the registration of new parties. The ban was enforced in regard to the junta’s Announcements No 15 and 27, issued shortly after the military coup in September last year, bar politicians from conducting any political activities and from setting up new political parties. The Council for National Security (CNS) agreed to lift the ban on early June and proposed two alternatives to the government: 1) propose a bill to the NLA, which would take time , or 2) issue a resolution to lift the ban immediately. The cabinet chose the first and submitted the draft bill to the NLA as an urgent matter. However, the NLA decided it should follow regular process therefore the bill should pass three rounds of deliberations. Internal Security Bill The cabinet meeting on June 19 approved a draft Internal Security Bill proposed by the Council for National Security with principle to restore the International Security Operation Command (ISOC), diminished years ago due to the abolition of the anti-communist law, to be chaired by the prime minister and directed by the army chief. The bill authorized the army chief to control the movement of people, prohibit demonstrations, impose an unlimited curfew and control the trade in goods. The bill is now being considered by the Council of State before going to the National Legislation Assembly to be passed as a law. The bill sparked oppose from human rights activists that the bill gives full authority and too much power to the army chief, as the director of ISOC, to violate many basic human rights of the people as it would have power over all state agencies and no single judicial authority would be able to counter that while army chief Sondhi Boonyaratklin defended the bill, saying neighboring countries such as Malaysia and Singapore also had internal security Acts that could heavily limit freedoms and rights of the people, but the laws helped keep their respective societies in order. Local Community Organization Bill dropped The Social Development and Human Security Ministry dropped their proposal to enact nation-wide Local Community Organization Councils by saying on June 18 that they had done their best and it is possible that the law would be downgraded to a ministerial regulations. The draft bill was secondly submitted to the cabinet on June 5 and opposed by the Interior Ministry on ground that it would create rift in the local community. The Prime Minister reconciled the dispute between the two ministries by setting an ad hoc committee to review and send it to the Council of State for consideration. When the Local Community Organization Council bill was first submitted to the cabinet it was criticized by the Interior Minister that it gives too much and overlapping power to the Local Community Organization Councils, to be established in three levels; nation-wide at Tambon and provincial and one national levels, since they are given authority to plan, revoke and revise the local development plan and the implementation would be a financial burden. The bill was withdrew for amendment to reduce the authority of the community organization councils to only boost people’s participation in setting local policies and development plans and monitor the local authority agencies’ performance. On June 15 representatives of four local administration organizations; the provincial Administration Organization Council, the National Municipal League of Thailand, the Tambon Administration Organization of Thailand and the Village and Tambon Headmen’s Association, submitted a letter objecting to the bill as it would spark conflict and was redundant because of existing local administration bodies and presented flowers to Interior Minister Aree Wongsearaya, who opposed the move. However there were also support from scholars, professionals and leaders of people’s organizations who see it a key mechanism for people’s participation in democracy. Civil service restructure The cabinet meeting on June 26 approved the Civil Servants Regulation Bill, which will pave the way for major bureaucratic reform aims to rewrite the salary structure for all civil servants. There will be three types of civil servant: ordinary civil servants, civil servants engaged in overseas missions and civil servants working for the Royal Family and the current 11 levels on the civil servants’ career ladder will come to an end as the bill will reorganize civil servants into four levels: general, academic, director and executive. Civil servants salary increase 4% The cabinet meeting on June 5 agreed to increase salary to all civil servants including permanent employee, other personals and pensioners to 4 per cent, worth Bt 17 billion annually, starting from October 1, 2007. All education to Thai youth The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) disclosed the government has successfully provided basic education to all Thai youth in the first quarter of 2007 though the educational standard is not improving. However, Thai households have consumed more alcoholic drinks. Green light for privatization The cabinet meeting on June 19 approved on principle the draft bill for state enterprises privatization proposed by the Finance Ministry. However basic public utilities such as water supply, electricity, lottery and tobacco manufacturing would not be included. Protection against violence in family The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) meeting on June 6 passed the draft bill on Protection Against Family Violence with principle to a maximum jail of 6 months or maximum fine of 6,000 baht or both jail and fine of a family member who abused other member(s) in the family. Any poison witness or know of family violence is eligible to report to the police either by verbal or written. Penalty on rape The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on June 20 amended the draft bill on Criminal Act to include penalty of a rape of one’s spouse. Previously, the law considered an act of rape is only against other person that is not one’s own spouse. Penalty to rape is 4-20 years jail and 8,000-40,000 baht fine. More penalty to alcohol accident The cabinet meeting on June 26 agreed on principle the draft bill on Land Transport to increase penalty of a person found incapable of driving due to high level of alcohol consumption to a maximum of 5 years ban from driving. Moreover, officials will be able to detain anyone not cooperate in alcohol test.