ASEAN chief worried over Thailand's Charter changes

BANGKOK, March 3 (TNA) - Secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Surin Pitsuwan Saturday voiced his concerns whether Thai independent agencies would be dissolved, following amendments of the present Constitution. Expressing his worries during a speech on strengthening communities delivered at Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC), Surin said it appears to be accepted that power hungers would seek to grab more power endlessly and this is one of major factors causing conflicts. Surin suggested that people are to protect their natural resources and not to allow outside factors to take their advantages or bully them, warning if this was allowed, problem would occur, like the constitutional amendments in Thailand which are on progress. The ASEAN chief acknowledged if independent agencies which act like political watchdog still exist after the Charter amendments, the problem would not occur, and that it remained unknown how the new Thai Constitution would look like or whether independent agencies would be dissolved. Dr. Prawet Wasi, Chairman of the National Reform Committee, opined in his speech, on the other hand, that the problem of Thailand is that power is rested at the centre, making communities weak and causing conflicts in several areas, including the bureaucracy system. Dr. Prawet said that corruption remains; while the state appears to have failed to function properly and coup d’etat could be staged easily, pointing out if power was decentralised, it would be difficult to stage a coup. Dr. Prawet, a senior Thai citizen and wellknown academic, went on to say that serious conflicts which could lead to a bloodshed could be solved if local people could solve their own cruxs and allowed themselves socialised. (TNA)