"They're not interested in the concept but merely look into each article separately," Sunee told The Nation earlier this week.

The remark came weeks after the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) decided it had no time to listen to a suggested presentation by the National Human Rights Commission regarding its views about the new charter and its findings from public hearings across the country, for which Sunee is responsible.

"We won't present it to them, but we will present it to the public. If they don't want to invite us, then don't. We won't pursue that channel any more," Sunee explained.

Sunee said she was concerned the drafters were behaving more and more like people who would decide things on their own terms.

"Everything seems to be up to them," she said.

 The commissioner, herself a drafter for the nullified 1997 Constitution, said people from various regions wanted a concrete and effective guarantee of human rights, liberty and decentralisation in the new charter.

 Contrary to the often-cited claim that the majority of the populace do not know what the constitution is for, they know what they want to see in the charter, even if they may not discuss the matter in terms of specific articles, Sunee said.

"The climate of debate is that people are capable of expressing their opinion. The truth is, the people do understand," she added.

She said that recognition and protection of community rights, along with the setting up of a people's council at various levels to monitor and scrutinise the government and both Houses, were just some of the often-repeated wishes expressed by people she met.

The process of meeting the public in various regions is still ongoing, but the commission is expected to present a report to the public in the near future as the CDC is rushing to finish its first draft by April.

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation