Former prime minister Chuan Leekpai yesterday blamed people's disregard of laws for many of the country's current problems.
"When people know about their rights, they should also be taught about the [accompanying] duties. We must teach people about regulations and respect for duty. The problems stem from failure to respect the laws," he said.
Chuan, who practised as a lawyer before entering politics more than four decades ago, cited as an example the severe insurgent violence in the deep South, which he blamed on a leader who "failed to respect the rules and resorted to unlawful means" of addressing the insurgency.
"Today both Buddhists and Muslims suffer. Failure to address the problem with the principle of law led to new problems. Being strictly true to the law may not solve all problems, but I can guarantee that this way, you won't see the country going backwards," he said.
The remarks appeared to be a thinly veiled attack against fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose government adopted a hardline stance against dissident Muslims.
Chuan made the remarks in a speech titled "Thai Representatives in the People's Hearts" at Thammasat University during an academic panel discussion organised to mark the anniversary of the death of Prince Rapi Pattanasak, who is regarded as the father of Thailand's modern laws.
A former leader of the Democrat Party, Chuan told the audience he was convinced politicians who respect the rules and laws would also refrain from becoming corrupt.
He said the country's political changes had also engendered corruption among politicians. He estimated that more than half of parliamentarians were elected because they bought votes.
Chuan called on younger aspiring politicians to embrace the goal of becoming professionals, and not to enter politics to protect their families' business interests or to make personal gains.