Thai residents in Vancouver protest graft bill

published by asingh on Mon, 11/18/2013 - 22:26

A group of Canadians of Thai heritage protested outside of the Royal Thai Consulate General on Burrard Street in Vancouver last week.

The group led by Thai Society of Vancouver submitted a letter to the Consulate General on Wednesday November 6th at 3.30PM. The letter stated the group's opposition to the blanket amnesty bill that would kill 25,355 graft cases

The bill, if enacted, would derail 24 cases initiated by the Assets Examination Committee and 25,331 cases launched by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) in Thailand.

Of the total graft cases being investigated, some 400 cases involved high-level politicians and another 666 cases were already at the indictment stage.

Cases under judicial review, such as the two- and three-digit lottery, the Exim Bank loans, the conversion of telecom concession and the Krung Thai loans would all collapse, thus absolving the politicians implicated in each.

“With the legislation of this bill, the government is destroying the good governance and good principle in the country. If the bill is passed, corruption cases between 2004 and August 2013 will be dropped," aid Miss Chananchita, one of protest leaders.

"The country cannot give amnesty to the corrupt otherwise they will think only by acquiring state power, their wrongdoings will be nullified."

Another of the group's leaders, Siwaporn Patric, added, “We are here to protect the country from a group of corrupt people who passed this unfair law."

For more information please email [email protected] or go to website www.ThaiVancouver.com.