Published: 16/04/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News
Writer: Mongkol Bangprapa
The Council of State is vetting a bill to regulate public gatherings to ensure it does not violate the public's right to assembly.The bill, which was drafted and proposed by the Royal Thai Police Office, was approved by the cabinet on Oct 6 last year.
The cabinet has stressed the need for the Council of State, the government's legal adviser, to ensure the bill does not breach the public's right to assembly enshrined in the constitution.The government is concerned the bill could be challenged successfully in the Constitution Court if it affects charter rights.
Thailand has never had a specific law to regulate public gatherings and outline procedures for organisers and participants of rallies to follow.
The government has had to rely on other laws that are only indirectly related to public gatherings, such as the traffic law, the highway law and the law on the maintenance of order and cleanliness.
Those laws can be used to curtail demonstrations that affect the rights of others but there is no law that supports the public's constitutional right to assembly.
Observers said the bill should be aimed primarily at supporting the public's rights to assembly and freedom of expression, while putting in place measures to prevent violence and keep rallies from infringing upon the rights of others.The bill has four chapters made up of 38 sections.
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