The Ad Hoc Parliamentary Committee on Law Enforcement and Measures for Protecting the Monarchy on Friday summoned all five organizations who sponsored the publishing of the book “Yamyuk Rooksamai” (Repeating the Era, Advancing the Generations) which was distributed free of charge to those attending Oct 14 commemoration week at Thammasat University at Tha Pra Chan.
The book is a collection of articles and interviews featuring prominent academics and activists including Thongchai Winichakul, history professor from Wisconsin-Madison University, Prajak Kongkirati, political science lecturer from Thammasat University and Somsak Jeamteerasakul, history professor from Thammasat University who is known for his open advocacy of reform of the monarchy.
"Repeating the Era, Advancing the Generations"
The summons document, seen by Prachatai, orders the heads of the five organizations sponsoring the event and the book. These are the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, PTT Thailand, the Department of Local Administration and the National Village and Urban Community Fund Office to meet with the Committee for further questioning.
According to the document, the Committee, aside from questioning the book’s sponsors, will also discuss the “current situation on defamation and disrespect towards the monarchy,” and report on the progress of two sub-committees: on law enforcement to protect the monarchy; and on promotion of understanding of the monarchy as the head of a democratic government.
The Sub-Committee on Law Enforcement to Protect the Monarchy consists of well-known figures such as Somchai Sawaengkarn, appointed senator and member of the post-coup National Legislative Assembly, and Khamnoon Sitthisamarn, a leader of the yellow shirts.
3,000 copies of the book were published for by the Oct 14 Committee for Democracy, of which Jaran Dittapichai, former student activist in 1970s and a leader of the red shirt movement, is the president.
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