BANGKOK – Thailand’s military junta has summoned a Shiite imam for violating the ban on public protests by organizing a pro-Palestine rally in Bangkok last Friday.

Satienparp Suksamran, chairman of Al Quids International Federation of Thailand, led a demonstration in front of Israel Embassy in Bangkok on 25 July to protest Israel's ongoing assault in the Gaza Strip. Israel launched amilitary offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza earlier this month, so far killing more than 1,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom were civilians.

Yesterday, Mr. Satienparp met with military officers at Army Club in Bangkok to acknowledge that his protest was a violation of the junta’s ban on public gatherings, which was imposed shortly after the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) staged a coup against the previous government on 22 May.

The press was not allowed to observe the meeting, but Mr. Satienparp told reporters afterwards that he tried to explain to the officers that the protest was solely about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

"Similar protests have been held in other countries," the Shiite cleric said. "The protest has no connection with Thai politics."

Nevertheless, the Al Quids Federation in Thailand has agreed not to stage any further protests, Mr. Satienparp said.

The NCPO has strictly enforced the ban on public gatherings on all anti-coup demonstrations, but has less frequently interfered with rallies around other causes. In the past month, an anti-America protest, pro-death penalty rally, and a previous anti-Israel demonstration were all been permitted without interference from authorities. 

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RATCHABURI — Officials are investigating the derailment of five cars from the Oriental Express train in western Thailand yesterday.

Two passengers were injured when a section of the luxury train, operated by Eastern and Oriental Express company, derailed at a curve in Ban Pong district of Ratchaburi province at around 10.30 am on Sunday.

Two Japanese women were injured and sent to local hospital. Police describe their injuries as "light." 

Train operators say the train was traveling from Hua Lampong station in Bangkok to its final destination in Singapore. The train reportedly carried 77 passengers, mostly European and Asian tourists, staff say. 

Officials from the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) said that heavy rain may have caused the train track to sink and widen, causing the derailment. 

However, SRT officials stressed that a more thorough investigation is needed to establish the true cause of the incident. 

"A central committee will be appointed to investigate the derailment," said Narongrit Sivasarote, a chief engineer of the SRT. "We expect that the investigation will take one month." 

Derailment and delays are common on Thai railways, due in part to old facilities and a lack of proper maintenance. A proposal by the previous government to construct a high-speed train system was struck down by the Constitutional Court on the ground that the project’s budget lacked transparency. 

According to the Eastern and Oriental Express website, a ticket for the four-day Bangkok – Singapore train journey costs approximately 83,000 baht per person.

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The junta's 2014 Interim Constitution is robbing Thai people of their political voices.

Two months after staging a coup d’etat, Thailand’s military junta unveiled a temporary constitution outlining the formation of an interim government that is expected to administer the country until the end of the next year.

The National Council For Peace and Order (NCPO) dissolved Thailand’s 2007 constitution almost immediately after seizing power on May 22, and until last week, ruled over the Kingdom without a charter.

While the return of a constitution should mark a step forward in the direction of democracy, a close look at the 2014 Interim Charter reveals that it is actually a discouraging step backwards.

The most concerning section of the constitution is Article 44, which effectively enshrines the NCPO’s absolute power into the Kingdom’s highest body of law.

Article 44 grants the NCPO power to unilaterally intervene “regardless of its effects on the legislative, executive or judiciary” in the name of defending Thailand against threats to “public order, national security, the monarchy, national economy or sovereignty.”

Not only is the NCPO given this carte blanche to intervene in almost any situation, but “all orders or acts [taken under these circumstances] are to be regarded as lawful and constitutional.”

In other words, nothing the NCPO does can be considered illegal. Furthermore, this absolute power will not be subject to any oversight, judicial or otherwise.

The 2014 interim charter also establishes three governmental bodies that will be tasked with fundamentally restructuring Thailand’s system of government, yet are unlikely to represent broad swaths of the population.

According to the charter, the members of the National Legislative Assembly and Reform Council will be appointed by the King “in accordance with the recommendations of the National Council for Peace and Order,” (Section 6 and Section 28), and the chairman of the Reform Council will in turn appoint the members of the Constitution Drafting Committee (Section 32), which will be tasked with writing a permanent constitution.

Not only is the NCPO granted the power to appoint the members of these bodies, but Sections 8 and 33 of the interim charter preemptively narrow the pool of possible nominees for the NLA and Constitution Drafting Committee to those who have not held positions in political parties over the past three years. With all recently active political figures barred from the get-go, it’s almost certain that the interim government will be dominated by military personnel and their loyal allies.

Finally, the charter makes no mention of putting a draft of the permanent constitution up to a referendum, effectively shutting out Thai people’s ability to weigh in on the future of their country’s government. 

With the power to essentially handpick the writers of Thailand’s political future, the NCPO has ensured that its interests will be protected for years to come. It's also likely that the reforms pursued over the next year will align with the NCPO’s vision for Thailand. Based on how the junta has governed since seizing power on 22 May, this vision will likely involve a curb on human rights, political freedoms, and democratic values. 

As many human rights activists have warned, the current interim constitution robs Thai people of their political voices. Any reforms – constitutional or otherwise – should be carried by an inclusive, democratically elected, civilian government. 

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