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Published on October 10, 2007

Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) member who proposed the bills, said he was contacted by a privy councillor who said the Privy Council was not comfortable about the law amendment.

The proposed amendment to the Criminal Code and Criminal Procedural Act would increase penalties for those violating the laws, and expand the protection to cover the Privy Council president and privy councillors.

The law amendment was originally scheduled to be deliberated by the NLA today.

"After I received the call from the privy councillor I contacted the NLA coordination committee member who suggested we could change some issues, but I disagreed fearing we might leave some flaws. So I withdrew the entire draft. The issue about privy councillors has ended," Pornpetch said yesterday. Pornpetch said he would discuss the issue with an NLA panel studying ways to tackle national problems who suggested the law amendment.

NLA chairman Meechai Ruchuphan said on Monday the law amendment proposal was a result of a study by an NLA panel he had established. The panel suggested legislation to solve the problems of lese majeste, which was one of the four reasons behind last year's military coup.

Prapasri Osathanon, The Nation