The EU Delegation has urged the junta to allow free discussion on the draft charter, saying that free discussion is a prerequisite for political reconciliation.
Werner Langen, Chair of the EU Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the ASEAN, said that the EU Delegation was concerned by junta laws that criminalize criticism of the draft constitution, saying that political reconciliation cannot happen if the junta does not listen to everyone’s voice, BBC Thai reported on Wednesday, 18 May 2015.
Langen said this during a meeting when he accompanied eight EU Commissioners of Human Rights to visit Panyarak Poolthup, the Deputy Permanent Secretary of Foreign Ministry, on Tuesday.
According to BBC Thai, Langen added that the EU Delegation was also concerned that the junta might prolong its power and create a climate of intimidation because of the tendency of the military to intervene in Thai politics whenever conflict arises in the country.
However, Langen said that EU Delegation was optimistic about the future of Thailand, and hoped that Thailand will eventually return to democracy so that negotiations on the Thailand-EU Free Trade Agreement, which has been frozen since the 2014 coup, could be resumed, reported BBC Thai.
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