Academics have stepped up calls for the government to stop postponing enforcement of key provisions of the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act.
The law, published in the Royal Gazette on Oct 25 last year, is set to take effect tomorrow. However, the cabinet last week approved an executive decree postponing enforcement of Sections 22-25 to Oct 1, citing a lack of budget to buy equipment, especially police body cameras, and a shortage of skills as reasons for the delay.
Prinya Thaewanarumitkul, a law lecturer at Thammasat University, on Monday called on the cabinet to forward the executive decree to the House of Representatives for consideration before it is adjourned on Feb 28.
He suggested that a special assembly could be convened to examine the executive decree before the House's term expires on March 24.
Mr Prinya expressed confidence that opposition MPs would vote against the decree, and if it were voted down, the postponement would be scrapped, allowing the entire Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act to come into force.
He also lashed out at the Royal Thai Police and the government's excuses for postponing the enforcement. They had had 120 days to prepare, he noted.
Surapong Kongchantuek, an ex-member of the National Human Rights Commission, said the postponement would be in violation of Section 172 of the constitution.
He said the long-awaited law would help build a safer society, and the reasons cited by the government and the RTP did not justify the postponement.
Mr Surapong echoed Mr Prinya's call for the cabinet to submit the executive decree to the House for examination, saying he hoped MPs would reject it.
He said that the best course of action was for the cabinet to issue another decree to nullify the postponement today, which would allow the entire law to take effect tomorrow.
Sarawut Prathumrat, a human rights advocate, on Monday took the government to task for bowing to the RTP, saying the four sections were key to preventing abuse and harassment.
