sábado, 12 de junho de 2010

Amnesty mulled for reds' decree breaches

The Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) is considering granting an amnesty to red shirt demonstrators who violated the emergency decree.
Tharit Pengdit, chief of the Department of Special Investigation, said yesterday the agency has been asked to look at drafting a law granting a pardon to protesters who do not face terrorism charges.
Mr Tharit said the department will discuss the matter with the Council of State.
A working panel will study the CRES proposal which was floated in support of the government's road map to national reconciliation.
Tens of thousands of red shirts took part in the two-month rally which was marred by violence. A total of 89 people were killed and almost 2,000 injured.
Mr Tharit said the CRES had proposed the law because tens of thousands of those people were not involved in violence.
"If the special law is introduced, those who were arrested but not charged with terrorism will be released," he said.
People found to have violated the emergency decree face a jail term of six months to two years. Mr Tharit said some of those arrested under the emergency decree are being prosecuted.
Asked about the deaths of two red shirt guards who were killed on Thursday, one in Nakhon Ratchasima and the other in Chon Buri, Mr Tharit said an investigation is under way to establish if the killings were related to the protest.
The two cases could be handed over to the DSI, depending on the result of police inquiries.