Reference: Quick probe now unlikely, Bangkok Post, July 20, 2010

Truth and reconciliation commissions, normally tasked with exposing ugly truths about the past – rather than burying them  – as a way of resolving social bifurcation, have historically been formed by a succeeding government to investigate the wrongdoings of a prior government. The  two cases I know of where a truth commission was authorized by the sitting government are Thailand’s truth commission of 2010 and Canada’s truth commission of 2008.

Thailand’s case is unique and it likely requires a home grown Thai approach without boilerplate guidelines from other truth commissions imposed on Mr Kanit; but if there is a model that Thailand could use to learn from history one would think that the Canadian commission would serve that purpose better than any truth commission ordered by one government to investigate wrongdoings of another.

The Canadian truth commission was set up for reconciliation between aboriginal and non-aboriginal Canadians with respect to acrimony over the residential school scandal. The necessary details and documents may be available from the embassy.

Cha-am Jamal

Thailand