Bangkok: The House of Representatives voted 183 to close the conditional amnesty channel for youth and accused persons in Section 112 cases. The decision came during a meeting to consider the draft Act on the Promotion of a Peaceful Society B.E…, following a one-hour suspension due to disagreements among committee members regarding draft Article 3. This article concerned conditions for not receiving amnesty in certain cases, with a minority of committee members advocating for conditional amnesty under Article 112.

According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Nattawut Saikua, Chairman of the Committee, announced that the meeting concluded with the majority of the Committee’s proposal for draft Section 3. However, draft Section 9/1 was revised, prompting Mr. Saikua to express confidence that the Council would approve the changes.

Ms. Sasinan Thamnithinan, a Bangkok MP from the Prachachon Party and a minority committee member, confirmed the amendment to include amnesty for youth under 18. She believed this would not violate principles and argued that the youth issue does not necessitate a detailed legal process discussion, unlike more serious adult actions such as airport closures and bankruptcy restitution.

Ms. Sasinan expressed her disappointment over the lack of direct solutions, stating, “I’m disappointed that we’re having to find a roundabout, indirect solution without even asking what the beneficiaries really want. Even though we didn’t win today’s vote, I want to remind the meeting that this bill won’t promote peace if we view other groups as the opposite and find ways to circumvent the law by granting amnesty to youth.”

The meeting concluded with a vote, resulting in 184 votes in favor of the majority committee’s proposal, while 133 supported the minority committee’s stance.