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Published on July 20, 2007

His decision complied with a request by a forum of senior police generals who are opposed to the reassigning of the Royal Thai Police to the Justice Ministry.

Surayud, who pushed for the RTP revamp, said he welcomed police involvement in the entire process and would incorporate their conditions with those in the government's version while the police bill was being vetted by the Council of State.

He said important conditions that would impose a trivial paperwork burden on a prime minister would need to be revoked, after complaints that he would have to sign numerous approvals of pension payments for individual retiring police officers.

Around 20 anti-junta protestors gathered outside the RTP headquarters on Rama I Road and blew whistles in support of the police's campaign against the restructuring bill.

Meanwhile, deputy permanent secretary Kittiphong Kittayarak, secretary of a government committee working on the RTP revamp, said certain conditions argued for and against by police officers during yesterday's Council of State session were acceptable and would be put under consideration.

He said more police officers should sit on the so-called National Police Policy Commission apart from the sole national police chief - a condition proposed in the government's version of the bill. Fiscal management should also be part of the bill, which does not currently include this condition.