Former prime minister Anand Panyarachun and social critic Prawase Wasi yesterday agreed to lead a national reform effort involving civil society.
They said the focus would be on creating a mechanism that could help ease the problem of social inequality.
Anand will head a commit?tee responsible for mapping out strategies for social reform, while Prawase will head a reform council and sit on the Anand panel, the former pre?mier said.
The two respected figures met Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday at Baan Phitsanulok, the PM's official residence. They were informed of their nominations by civil society to head the reform. After the 90-minute meeting, Anand and Prawase called a press con?ference to discuss their new mission.
"This is not a government project, but it is in line with gov?ernment plans for national rec?onciliation," Anand told reporters.
"Civil society will create a mechanism to be implemented by the government. This mech?anism will be free from govern?ment domination or influence; otherwise, it would fail to win the public trust. The prime min?ister understands this principle and did not protest it."
Prawase said the prime min?ister had a duty to support the reform committee and imple?ment its proposals.
He told yesterday's press briefing that the project "com?bines social and intellectual forces" and added that civil soci?ety would work with academics in coming up with reform strategies.
"This reform committee has nothing to do with the nation?al reconciliation plan. Reconciliation is a thing of the past; reform is a thing of the future," Prawase said.
He expressed hopes that reform and social justice would lead to national unity and a sense of patriotism.
"When society lacks justice, there is serious conflict. Reform helps bring about justice and reduces social inequality," Prawase said.
He described the country's political crisis as an "open win?dow of opportunity" to bring about social reform.
"We must turn this common goal into a force. Thai society has never had a common goal," Prawase said.
Anand said he expected the reform committee's proposed short-term measures could be implemented immediately even though social reform was in fact a never-ending process.
"Society is not stationary, and the social-reform process will never end or be completed," he said.
Prawase said the prime min?ister remarked even with this government not in power in the future, the reform mechanism should continue functioning.
"In four months, there may be measures to help reduce social inequality. But some complicated issues require a longer time, such as reforming the justice system, because it involves many agencies, such as the police," he said.