The Nitirat group remained defiant in the face of heavy criticism yesterday over its campaign to amend Section 112 of the Criminal Code, commonly known as the lese majeste law.
On its website, http://www.enlightened-jurists.com, Nitirat said it will continue to seek the support of 10,000 people or more for its push to amend the law.
The group has been attacked by many sectors for forming a committee to amend Section 112 on Jan 15 and its discussion of proposed constitutional amendments on Jan 22.
The group, which is made up of legal experts from Thammasat University, said the criticism was directed at individuals and did not hold academic grounds.
It claimed that facts and legal principles were also distorted to create misunderstandings among the public.
The group insisted its proposals, especially the one to amend the lese majeste law, were legitimate.
“Section 112 is part of the Criminal Code, so it is legitimate for people who see problems associated with it to seek improvement,” the group said.
Sawatree Suksri, a Thammasat University law lecturer and Nitirat supporter, yesterday claimed the group was being singled out.
Posting on her Facebook page, she claimed to have received a letter from a military officer warning against proceeding with the campaign.
Theera Sutheewarangkoon, another Nitirat member, also claimed the group is a target for intimidation.
“If expressing different views means being hunted down or killed, let Nitirat be the last in this case,” he posted on his Facebook page.
The Nitirat group, however, could be facing a withdrawal of support.
Renowned political scientist Seksan Prasertkul has issued a statement distancing himself from the group.
Mr Seksan, former dean of Thammasat’s political science faculty, said his support for any change is based on the principle of legal reforms intended to uphold core institutions.
He said he was approached by a group of senior lecturers to support the proposed reforms.
But his support for reforms is merely an opinion which is subject to debate and consideration by the public at large.
“I have no plan to join the movement because I am fed up with conflicts,” he said. “I insist I have nothing to do with the Nitirat group which is spearheading the campaign and other issues associated with it.”
Tida Tawornseth, chair of the red shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, yesterday reserved her opinion about Nitirat’s proposal, but she urged all groups to maintain objectivity when discussing proposals, including amending Section 112.
“Society should listen and we red shirts will do so. We live in an open society and criticism should be based on reason, not emotion,” she said.
The ruling Pheu Thai Party was adamant that it had no plans to amend the lese majeste law.
Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit read a party statement on the issue which stressed its commitment to uphold the monarchy and democracy.
He said the party would also lodge a petition with the Department of Special Investigation on Monday to investigate websites hosting content deemed offensive to the higher institution.
Democrat deputy spokesman Sakolthee Pattiyakul called on the media to not give the oxygen of publicity to Nitirat’s proposals.
“I don’t want the media to be manipulated by little-known lecturers,” he said.
“If they give them attention, we’ll see more unusual proposals that do nothing but cause divisiveness.”
He noted that Nitirat could have something else up in its sleeve and amending Section 112 could be just a pawn in its game or a decoy.
He said the government should also take a stronger stance on the issue.
People who are opposed to any amendment of Section 112 will gather at the Royal Plaza today.