Policy Announcement*
Mr. President,
Distinguished Members,
Persuant
to His Majesty the King's gracious appointment of myself as Prime Minister,
per Royal Command dated 8 October 1976, and the subsequent appointment
of the Council of Ministers, per Royal Command dated 22 October 1976.
The
Council of Ministers has now formulated the formal policies, upon the
trilogy of the Nation, Religion, King, as to present to the Parliament,
in order that the latter shall grant the kind approval, as follows:
| (1) |
The government shall enshrine the public savings, as the important policy, and consider the national security is essential for the economic developments and social justice, as to correspond to the objective of the state administration reform, as well as, implement efficient measures, as to preserve the national independence, sovereignty, security, and benefits, maintain the royal army, as to remain prompt for the national protection, and support the self-reliance. Conforming to the four-year plan, the government shall prepare the royal army, as to remain prompt for the national protection and external threats, enhance the warfare and weaponry, as to suppress any menacing threats, improve the military welfare, will, and morale, and harbor the good understandings, between the army and the people, in order that the former shall support and cooperate the national developments. |
| (2) |
The government shall prevent and suppress the communism, corruption, malfeasance, narcotics manufacturing and trafficking, as well as, drug-addicts, follow the National Economic and Social Plans, as to supppress the poverty of the majority of citizens, support the national profession, increase the national income, by means of the professional support, implement efficient measures, as to resolve the unemployment, enhance the efficiency of the skilled labour, focus on the urban, rural, and infrastructural developments, improve and implement all-level national developments. |
| (3) |
The government shall respect the austerity of the laws, preserve the freedom of the royal judges, as in the trials, establish sufficient regional courts, as for the national benefits, improve and facilitate the court procedures, by revising the related laws, rules, and regulations, as well as, increasing the numbers and efficiency of the royal judges, through national and international practice, decent welfare, standardized tribunal code of conducts and manuals. In addition, the government shall implement the attorney reform, as to establish the Attorney of Appeals and Attorney-General, and allow attorneys to supervise the investigations, etc. |
| (4) |
As for foreign affairs, the government shall run the policies freely, with the focus on the national benefit, sustenance, and security, as to preserve the national independence, sovereignty, and integrity, support the democratic administration, with King as Head of State, institute the United Nations' Charters and Treaties, by collaborating with other sovereign nations and international organizations, as to promote the international peace and security, establish good relations with the friendly nations, demonstrating the will to have honest relations with Thailand, regardless of the political, economic, and social distinctions, upon the equality and justice basis, national sovereignty and integrity, and non-interference or threat in state administration, resolve the international controversies, through peaceful and diplomatic measures, by respecting the international laws and justice, and preserving the rights and responsibilities on the international obligations and treaties, upon the equality, justice, and reciprocity basis. In addition, the government shall establish the regional understandings and cooperations, especially with the member countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), be it political, economic, social, or cultural, in order to achieve the regional stability, progress, well-being, and prosperity, implement efficient measures, as to establish the South East Asian region as peace, liberty, and neutrality area, as well as, administer the foreign policies, as to support and guarantee the international trade, investment, and tourism, as for the regional benefits. |
| (5) |
As for finance, the government shall administer the policies, aware that the financial stability is essential for the national economic and social development, resolve and support the economic development, according to current situations and objectives of the administration reform, and revise the financial procedures, as to achieve the versatility and savings in the state administration. In addition, the government shall encourage the role of financial institutions in the provision of the agricultural assistance and raise the standard of living of agriculturists. |
| (6) |
As for commerce, the government shall establish the national well-being, as first priority, by providing essential consuming goods of quality, in great volume, at reasonable price, and supporting trade channels of manufacturers, promote and support the expansion of national products in foreign markets, in terms of quantity and value, organize trade procedures and protocols, and promote the free trade area. |
| (7) |
As for industry, the government shall support the manufacturing of the four essential factors, services, and comforts, as to meet the national requirements and foreign exports, trading for essential products we cannot yet produce. In addition, the government shall facilitate the requirements of the mining industry, as to enhance the efficiency, reduce the cost, and generate the concessional benefits, promote and support the exploitation of the petroleum and natural gas, as to fuel the oil industry, pioneer the fertilizer industry, as for the finished or semi-finished animal feed from the national agricultural products, survey and harness the mineral resources, by means of eco-friendly measures, as for the national benefits. |
| (8) |
As for transportation, the government shall suffice the land, water, and air transportation and communication, as to meet the international standard, and enhance the meteorological service. Concerning urgent issue, i.e., buses in the Greater Bangkok area, the government shall, in two phases, within 6 and 18 months, increase the numbers of services, as to meet the increasing needs, with the focus on the comfort, safety, savings, and efficiency. |
| (9) |
As for agriculture, the government shall implement the land reform projects, in line with all-level cooperative developments, as priorities, in order to achieve the agricultural stability. Within 4 years, the government shall implement the land reform, with the total area of 8 million rais, by revising the rights and ownerships of agricultural lands, as well as, accommodation zone in the said lands, support the manufacturing efficiency of small-scale agriculturists, agricultural groups and cooperatives, and provide the manufacturing factors, i.e., agricultural restructuring, irrigation, especially small-scale, land improvement, utilization of science and technology in the manufacturing, improvement and preservation of natural resources. In this respect, the government shall implement efficient measures, as for the agricultural debt clear-off, promote the local employment, provide the adequate knowledge for home and local industries, i.e., basketry, cloth weaving, crafting, molding, and mat weaving, etc., promote the livestock domestication, support the improvement and breeding of fresh and brackish water fish and animals, and enhance the efficiency of the marine fishery. Meanwhile, the government shall support and protect the national forests, especially water source forests, and construct more forest gardens. |
| (10)
|
As for education, the government shall encourage the national awareness, according to the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, in the importance and value of the democratic administration, with the focus on Nation, Religion, and King, uphold the Thai culture, exercise the rights and liberties, under the legal framework, and recognize the roles and responsibilities of the citizens in the democratic system. In addition, the government shall improve all-level education systems and processes, be it formal or non-formal, as to enhance the efficiency, viewpoint, behaviour, values, and morals of the people, and become good citizens, as to meet the national requirements. As for the compulsory education, although the government is responsible for the provision of the free education, we welcome the private participation, under the government threshold, in the improvement of the educational quality, according to the national policies, projects, and identities, provided the exemption of the benefit harassment. As for the non-compulsory education, the government shall provide the educational opportunity to all citizen, according to the intellectual capacity. In this respect, the government shall grant free scholarships to poor students, selected through merits, as for the regional developments, increase and enhance the adult and vocational education, especially in agriculture, as to meet the economic and social requirements. As for the commercial, industrial, scientific, and technological education, especially in agriculture, the government shall implement and support, according to the priority. As for teacher practice, the government assumes the sole responsibility in the recruitment of qualified teachers, through special measures, as to enhance the viewpoint, personality, and interest in the profession. As for the universitarial education, the government believes the universities, state and private alike, are academic institutes and research centers, responsible for the national educational self-reliance, hence, shall support the operations, as to achieve the academic excellence, revise the national textbooks, provide the social assistance, preserve, diffuse, and enhance the national cultural heritage. The government believes the academic activities shall consist of the study, teaching, and research, which students and teachers shall perform with the great zeal, as to serve the society successfully. As for the public education, the government shall encourage the study and correct usage of the Thai language, as the official language, and provide the educational opportunity for all citizens, in accordance with the intellectual capacity. As for the underprivileged, the government shall establish special institutes, in accordance with the economic capacity, local, and national requirements, in order to provide adequate knowledge for the decent co-existence in the society, with the minimal family and social burdens. |
| (11)
|
As for public health, the government shall provide the integral health care system, which shall consist of the protection, prevention, and treatment, to the provinces, as viewed from the fact that the public health plays the major roles in the national developments. In addition, the government shall improve and expand the regional health care network, by constructing more provincial hospitals and distrital health centers and distributing the mobile medical care unit to the remote areas, provide free medical treatments to the poor, establish regional hospitals, as to support the provincial hospitals, increase the numbers and efficiency of medical officers, as to meet the national requirement, improve the recruitment process and efficiency of the personnel, and implement efficient measures, as for the appropriate distribution and utilization of the human resource. Moreover, the government shall enhance the efficiency of the family planning, as to reduce the birth rates. |
The
government believes the aforementioned policies shall guarantee the preservation
and support of the Nation, Religion, King, and national identity. The
government hopes the Parliament shall support us whole-heartedly.
Thank
you.
*Prime Minister Advisory Council Meeting Report
of 29 October 1976, Pages 18-25
Unofficial Translation