Bangkok Post
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has turned to Facebook to defend the government's controversial move to amend the 2007 charter, saying the process will lead to a peaceful general election.
Posting his thoughts online in response to public confusion over the charter rewrite, he defended the state's stance and called for people to help "tune Thailand into a balance".
"What I want the civil sector to learn is that it is impossible that we can satisfy all our desires," he wrote.
Those who disagree with the government have no need to pile pressure on it, he said. Reasonable requests are enough to get its attention.
The anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy, which opposes the charter amendment, says it will protest on Jan 25 against changes to Section 190.
It is worried the amendment will put Thailand at a disadvantage in its negotiation with Cambodia to settle the dispute over an overlapping area of 4.6 square kilometres near Preah Vihear temple. It fears Thailand will lose territory to Cambodia.
Section 190 requires parliament's approval for international agreements which can affect the country's economic, social affairs and territorial integrity. The cabinet has agreed with the amendment of Section 190, following a proposal that guidelines should be made to determine endorsement on a case-by-case basis.
A joint parliamentary panel is considering the issue amid reports that Mr Abhisit proposed on Nov 26 that more clauses should be added to Section 190.
"As long as I am the leader of the government, I will protect the national sovereignty to the utmost," he wrote.
He said Thailand would maintain troops in the disputed area and insisted a watershed line be used to divide the countries. "We will not let Cambodia manage areas belonging to Thailand," he said. He referred to the overlapping territory also claimed by Cambodia.
He still believes in the merit of the charter amendment, which he said would pave the way for a smooth election.
"It is not always necessary that we love each other, but we must be able to live together with different views without causing a division in society," he said.
Meanwhile, Democrat spokesman Buranat Samuttarak yesterday applauded Democrat MPs who submitted meeting records of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission to the Constitution Court to give an opinion on whether they fall under Section 190.
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