Panel breaks off

Panel breaks off 'tense' debate

BANGKOK (AFP): A Thai parliamentary panel has broken off debate on a proposed anti-coup constitutional amendment because of rising tension between government MPs and pro-military senators, a committee member said yesterday.

The House Senate committee set up to scrutinize a series of draft amendments decided to drop discussion for the time being after heated debate on Thursday, MP Preecha Suwannathat told AFP.

Leading academic Assadang Panikkabutr, also a committee member, had proposed the amendment, under which Thai citizens could refuse to disobey the orders of any government that came to power through a coup d'etat.

Government representatives on the committee generally supported the proposal while some senators firmly opposed it, said Preecha, who is also a law lecturer.