Academics and members of the judiciary yesterday came up with proposals for political and judicial reform to foster national unity.
The proposals were presented at a seminar on academic curricula for training high-ranking officials organised by the Judicial Training Institute.
Kanchana Thirakul, dean of the Graduate School of Kasetsart University, told the seminar that democracy means different things to different people in Thailand.
Ms Kanchana said a study by the King Prajadhipok’s Institute showed that while engineers, accountants, and those working in the radio and television sectors think of democracy in terms of rights and freedoms, many overlooked the duties that come together with such rights and freedoms.
However, all groups agreed that the patronage system deeply entrenched in Thai society has obstructed democracy and that a solution is to reform the electoral and political system, Ms Kanchana said.
She proposed that efforts be made to educate the public so they have a proper understanding of democracy and the political system should be reformed with those laws that have flaws amended.
She said an efficient monitoring system must be introduced to keep politicians in check while serious efforts must be made to eradicate corruption.
Ms Kanchana said the country’s leaders must pay attention to solving the so-called "mouth-and-stomach" or bread-and butter issue that affects the daily lives of ordinary people. She also stressed the need to strengthen the civil service for the greater good of the public, adding that the rule of law and moral values must be upheld.
Lachit Chai-anong, a Supreme Court judge, told the seminar that the justice system has been plagued with problems that prevent the public from gaining access to the justice system.
He said many people criticise the justice system these days for being slow in administering justice, lacking efficiency and being vulnerable to political interference.
He also said the rule of law is an abstract notion and is often open to interpretations by different groups which would only further complicate matters. However, the rule of law must be implemented to protect people’s rights and curb human rights violations. People must be educated and made aware that laws must be followed strictly, he said.
Mr Lachit said the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has stressed the need for justice agencies to comply with the rule of law, but this was still a vague outline. Clarification of the matter by the NCPO would support efforts to boost unity, he said.
He proposed that the legal system be reformed to suit the changing circumstances. Several laws are now outdated, while some laws are too modern and complicated for many people to understand.
He said various agencies in the justice system must integrate their work rather than work independently of each other, while efforts must be made to promote moral values and transparency in the justice system and justice officials must be encouraged to work to their full potential.