Bangkok: Parliament has rejected the proposed Military Court Act drafts submitted by the People's Party, leading to expressions of disappointment from the party, which accuses the government of colluding to dismiss military reform efforts and urges that soldiers who commit criminal offenses be tried in civilian courts.
According to Thai News Agency, MP Ekkarach Udomamnuay and his team held a press conference expressing regret over the parliamentary decision to reject two drafts of the Military Court Act put forward by People's Party MPs. Despite the setback, they emphasized their continued commitment to pursuing the bill further. The rejection came during the 16th meeting of the 27th House of Representatives, where the only draft accepted in principle was that proposed by the Cabinet.
Mr. Ekkarach Udomamnuay, representing the People's Party, stated that the rejected draft was designed to reform military courts to align with international standards and better serve the people's needs. He questioned whether the previous parliament's acceptance of the draft was genuine or merely a political maneuver by the Bhumjaithai Party. Despite the draft passing the committee level and achieving many agreed-upon resolutions, opposition from the Bhumjaithai Party and other coalition parties ultimately led to its rejection.
Mr. Ekkarach expressed concern over the lack of sincerity toward military reform by the ruling party, suggesting that past actions might have been politically motivated rather than genuine efforts for change. He reassured that the People's Party remains undeterred and plans to revise and resubmit the bill for consideration in the next parliamentary session, advocating for corrupt or criminal soldiers to be tried in civilian courts.
Commander Kittipong Piyawanno also addressed the public, apologizing for the delay and affirming that efforts would continue to promote the Military Court Act to enhance justice and transparency within the armed forces.