Thai soldiers to lose immunity from arrest

Thai soldiers to lose immunity from arrest

THAILAND: Uniformed Thai army personnel would be stripped of their immunity from arrest under a new deal agreed between the defense and interior ministry, a government spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Deputy government spokeswoman Nahathai Teupaingarm said the cabinet had agreed a draft bill that would allow police to detain and arrest military personnel even if they were in uniform.

The new deal would replace a 1955 agreement which prevents the police from arresting uniformed army personnel and forces them to seek permission from the army before detaining a commissioned officer.

The new agreement would grant police power to detain and arrest military suspects even if they refused to remove their uniform. --AFP