A meeting yesterday looked at the establishment of an organisation to develop a justice system based on "moral principles".

Justice Ministry deputy permanent secretary Kittipong Kittiyarak said the committee would ask Surayud to issue the royal decree. It would not wait for the next government, as it was not sure if the next administration would want to impose the principle of a "rule of law" in the justice system.

Asked about police resistance to changes, Kittipong said the committee would listen to opinions but would not change key proposals or 10 development points - which include the decentralisation of power, a mechanism to examine police performance, and improvements in salaries and welfare.

The draft amendment to the Police Act of 2004 would be proposed to Surayud by the end of the month, before being sent to the Cabinet in June. It would be up to the premier to consider and work out which direction to take, he said.

Meanwhile, Pol Lt Gen Wanchai Srinuannad, who headed the sub-committee for legislative development, said the police had a large group - 180,000 - of low-ranking officers, who needed options for career advancement and improved salaries and benefits.

The subcommittee would propose a pay rise to lift police morale, raising salaries by Bt800-900 per rank per year and boosting low-ranking officers' salary base by 15-20 per cent.

The development should start with pay rises for officers, which could be immediate if the government budget was sufficient, while work restructuring and legal amendments would take longer.

A source on the police reform panel said many police left comments on the Justice Ministry's website that "strongly disagreed" with the restructuring and examination of police operations.

But they welcomed the pay rise and chance for more open career advancement.

The public, whose opinion is valued, seemed reluctant to post their opinions on the website.