BANGKOK — The new chairman of the National Reform Council (NRC) has dismissed allegations that he and his deputy belong to a clique of conservative academics known as the "Chulalongkorn Connection."

"We graduated from the same institution, that's a fact," said Thienchay Keeranan, who was chosen as chairman by other NRC members yesterday. "But there's nothing wrong about that. Educational institution wasn't a factor behind the consideration of who would be the head of the NRC."

A number of media outlets previously described Thienchay and his deputy, Bowornsak Uwanno, as members of the "Chulalongkorn Connection," which is said to be cultivating influence in the military government. Two other alleged members of the "Connection" are Deputy Prime Minister Visanu Krue-ngam and Suchada Keeranan,Thienchay's wife, who sat on the committee that pre-screened candidates for the NRC before the list was finalized by the military junta. 

The name derives from the group’s history as high-ranking administrators at Chulalongkorn University, a prestigious university long-known as a stronghold of conservativism in Thai society. Thienchay and Suchada served as rectors of the university, while Bowornsak and Visanu are members of the school’s governing council. 

But Thienchay insisted today that their past association is irrelevant.

"I believe that, for my colleagues in the NRC, it doesn't matter which educational institution we are from, because our goal is Thailand. We are wearing the Thailand shirt. There's no colour in this shirt. If there's any colour, it would be the colours of our national flag," Thienchay told reporters. 

Thienchay also denied speculation that he and Bowornsak, a hardline critic of the former government, secured their top positions in the NRC because of a "lock spec" scheme engineered by the junta's National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). 

"I don't know anything about that," Thienchay said, "This is the first time I ever heard that my name was being considered. That is a surprise for me, because I was only approached about being the chairman at the vote yesterday."

According to the 2014 Interim Constitution, which Visanu helped draft, the NRC will be responsible for implementing reforms across a wide range of spheres, including politics, economics, the judiciary, and mass media. The junta promises that a national election will be held after the reforms and "national reconciliation" are completed. 

BANGKOK – Junta-ruled Thailand failed to secure enough votes to join the United Nations Human Rights Council yesterday, losing to four other Asian nations that applied for the seats.

Thailand, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, and Qatar were vying for four seats allotted to countries in the Asia-Pacific region in the UN rights group. Thailand was the only country not to make the cut, receiving 136 votes from members of the UN General Assembly, compared to 162 votes for India, 152 for Indonesia, 149 for Bangladesh, and 142 for Qatar.

Those four Asian nations will now join eleven other countries as new members of the UN Human Rights Council. They will serve a 3-year term starting on 1 January 2015. 

There is no immediate reaction from Thai authorities. 

Prior to the vote, human rights organisations repeatedly called attention to Thailand's deteriorating human rights situation following the military coup d'etat on 22 May, 2014. 

The New York-based Huamn Rights Watch wrote an open letter to coup-leader turned Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha  yesterday addressing a litany of human rights violations that have occurred under his rule, including the imposition of martial law, censorship of the press, arbitrary detentions, and an abusive drug suppression policy.

“Thailand’s pledges to the Human Rights Council can’t be taken seriously so long as the country is under abusive military rule,” said Brad Adams, Human Rights Watch's Asia director. “Thailand’s declarations supporting rights without action to revoke military law and end the repression of speech, association, and peaceful protest will be easily ignored.”

Since seizing power in May, Thailand's military junta  – known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) – has squashed dissent and banned all political activity in the name of restoring peace and order after months of protests crippled the nation's capital.

Those found guilty of violating the NCPO's ban on political protests have been sent to face trial in martial court, where they can be sentenced to up to six months in prison and are not permitted to appeal.

The junta has also intimidated the media, interfered with academic forums, and granted security forces sweeping authority over civilian matters under martial law, which exempts the military from liability over any damages. 

Thailand's failed bid to join the UN Human Rights Council came a few days after junta leader and Prime Minister Prayuth insisted that the international community "understands" Thailand's situation. 

Gen. Prayuth also claimed that his visit to the recent Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Milan, Italy, successfully "lifted the image" of military-ruled Thailand in the eyes of the world. 

BANGKOK – Thailand’s anti-graft body has ruled that members of the National Reform Council (NRC) do not need to reveal their financial assets because their work is “academic,” not political.

"They do not have to declare their assets because they will only perform academic works," said Wicha Mahakul, spokesperson of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC)."They have no stake in politics."

He added, "The NRC will merely use their expertise and knowledge in bringing about changes for the country."

The NRC was appointed last month to oversee the year-long reform process directed by Thailand’s military junta, which seized power in a coup d’etat on 22 May. The council will be tasked with proposing reforms across a variety of sectors, including the country's politics, public administration, judiciary, local government, and mass media, among others. 

Normally, all holders of political office in Thailand, such as Cabinet members and lawmakers, are required by law to submit details of their financial holdings to the NACC, which then releases them to the public. 

The NACC previously instructed members of the National Assembly Legislative (NLA), the junta's rubber-stamp parliament, to declare their assets. After initial reluctance, the NACC requested the military-appointed Cabinet do the same.

The NLA's declaration of assets sparked a controversy after it emerged that NLA member Gen. Preecha Chan-ocha, the brother of junta leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, has amassed more than 80 million baht in his military career. 

Gen. Preecha has insisted that the money was legally acquired by his family, while the NACC bizarrely suggested that the general may have mistakenly inflated his financial holdings because he accidentally included some of the military budget in his personal bank accounts. 

The assets of Gen. Prayuth and other Cabinet members will be revealed to the public "in early November," the NACC says.