Unofficial Translation

 

Policy Statement of 
 The Council of Ministers
of Prime Minister General Kriangsak Chomanan
Delivered to National Legislation Council
on Thursday, 1 December 1977

 

 

Policy Announcement*

Mr. President,
Distinguished Members,

Persuant to His Majesty the King's gracious appointment of myself as Prime Minister, per Royal Command dated 11 November 1977, and the subsequent appointment of the Council of Ministers, per Royal Command dated 12 November 1977. At this auspicious moment, the Council of Ministers has formulated the formal policies, as to present to the Parliament and request the kind approval, as follows:

1. Policy on Security

In order to preserve the national independence, sovereignty, security, and benefits, the government shall attempt to maintain and foster the politics, economy, society, education, and defense, as follows:

Politics

The government shall implement efficient measures whatsoever, as to stabilize the internal and external politics.

As for internal politics, the government shall, especially, provide the theoretical and practical educations to the public, with the focus on the opinion sharing in the state administration and national developments, in order that the latter shall perceive better understandings and confidence in the democratic government, with King as Head of State, develop the national sense of unity and devotion, as for the sake of the Nation, Religion, and King.

Foreign Affairs

1.
The government shall run the foreign policies freely, in order to preserve the national independence, sovereignty and integrity, with the focus on the national benefits, security, and sustenance.
2.
The government shall preserve the national rights, respect the international treaties and agreements, and institute the United Nations' Charter, as to establish the international peace, security, economic, and social develpments.
3.
The government shall establish good diplomatic and economic relations, in spite of the ideological, economic, and social differences, regarding the independence, sovereignty, intregrity, equality, defense, non-trangression, and non-interference of the internal affairs.
4.
 The government shall nurture the goodwill and mutual cooperations with the member countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), in order to achieve the regional stability, security, prosperity, and peace, as well as, enforce the constructive measures, as to turn South East Asian into the peace, liberty, and neutrality area.
5.
The government shall cherish the good relations, cooperations, and understandings with the neighbor countries, especially Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar, with the focus on the aforementioned policies and peaceful resolutions, as for the mutual benefits and peaceful co-existence.
6.
The government shall promote and guarantee the international trade and investment, as well as, collaborate with other developing countries, as to achieve the economic and social developments.

Military

1.
The government shall maintain and strengthen the armed force, be it royal army, territorial police, or volunteer groups.
2.
The government shall recruit new concripts, according to the policy, and enhance the military agencies, and increase the number of personnel, as for the protection of the national sovereignty and suppression of the terrorism.
3.
The government shall promote the national weapon industry, improve the military education and weapon standard, according to the self-sustenance policy, and reduce the external weapon dependence, as seen necessary.
4.
The government shall provide the special military practice and mobilization, as for the suppression of external threats.
5.
The government shall foster the army morale, will, and discipline, promote the military, administrative, and public cooperation, as to achieve the national unity, and ensure the national security.
6.
The government shall encourage the military participation in the national developments and disaster alleviation, and provide the vocational education to the army, as for the professional sake, once off-duty.
7.
The government shall encourage the public participation in the preservation of the national security.

National Security and Stability

The government believes the national security, stability, and well-being are indispensable for the national developments, as follows:

1.
The government shall prevent and suppress the undermine of the national security.
2.
The government shall respect the legal solemnity and harmonize the collaborations of every party concerned, as for the greater awareness, responsibility, and sacrifice in the operations.
3.
The government shall prevent and suppress the terrorist movements, by means of the political and development measures, and implement efficient measures, as to convert the misled into good citizens.
4.
The government shall prevent and suppress crimes and delinquences, advise, persuade, support, and encourage the public participation in the prevention of the local security and well-being.
5.
The government shall prevent and suppress the narcotics.
6.
The government shall prevent and suppress the corruption and malfeasance.
7.
The government shall revise the structure and administration of the Police Department and administrative officers, in accordance with the current social situation, as to enhance the awareness, responsibility, and efficiency.
8.
The government shall supervise and suppress the economic gap, social oppression and injustice, which might lead to the national chaos.

2. Economic Policy

During the previous planting season, many parts of Thailand were affected by the climatic disorders. Ones were drought-stricken, the others submerged, hence, low agricultural productivity. Meanwhile, the price of some products skyrocketed and the exports suffered the price and market downfall. As to alleviate the impact, the government has formulated the urgent policies, as follows:

1. The government shall implement the provincial economic developments, especially in the affected areas, as for financial remunerations, so that the locals shall yield the cost of living, i.e., construction speed-up, village and municipal transportation maintenance, irrigation system, and reforestation. In addition, the government shall preserve and develop the water resources, royal rain projects, and draught-oriented plantation.
2. The government shall resolve the urgent export problems and drawbacks, as to increase the number of exports, by increasing the foreign markets, enhancing the quality of important exports, as to meet the market requirements, improving the efficiency of the transportation system, and providing the tax privileges to exporters, as seen appropriate.
3. The government shall stabilize the price of essential consuming goods, in accordance with the manufacturing cost.
4. The government shall provide the employment opportunities to the underprivileged, through the collaborations of state and private agencies, in accordance with the National Economic and Social Plan IV, following these steps:
1.
Enhance the agricultural efficiency, as to meet the national and international requirements, with the focus on the development of the irrigation systems, and water resources, improvement of the manufacturing process, enhancement of the plant strains, expansion of the aquatic animals, and international fishery cooperation.
2.
Support the investment and industrial development, especially those involved with the national products, derived from plants and animals, plan the provision and utilization of the natural resources, e.g., mineral, metal, and natural gas, as to foster the development of the basic, export, and labor industries, facilitate the investment, establishment, and expansion of factories, with the focus on the national benefits, increase the number of the Industrial Estates, revise the related investment laws, as to support the industry, and promote the tourism, by providing the safe, comfortable, and interesting attractions to tourists.
3.
Continue, enforce, and control the development of the traffic, transportation, communication, and meteorology, as for the mutual harmony and support, in order to provide the sufficient, comfortable, fast, and economical systems, and encourage the private participation in the development, following these steps:
(a)
Improve the mass transit system in the Bangkok area, enhance the efficiency of the truck and intercity coach network, and upgrade the national highways and railways, as to meet the economic and social requirements.
(b)
Implement the deep sea port project at Laem Chabang, improve other coastal ports, develop the water channels, as to support the coastal and riverine transportation, and promote the national maritime commerce.
(c)
Upgrade Don Muang International Airport , as to solve the short-term problems, implement the airport developments, and support the expansion of services.
(d)
Improve and resolve the post and telecommunication system.

4. As for the commerce, implement efficient measures, as to benefit both the manufacturers and consumers, expand the international market network, in spite of the political and economic distinctions, establish the free trade, with the fair and organized competitions, as for the national benefits and trade balance, and support the national savings and products.
5. Implement the urban and rural development, with the focus on the prosperity distribution to the provinces, improve the basic infrastructures, i.e., traffic, electricity, water, and accommodation, as well as, encourage the public participation of the local administration.
6.

Provide the social justice, as for the agriculturists and laborers, by implementing the land reform and distribution, and support the fair wage, professional safety, and welfare, as for the other professions.

7. Preserve the financial stability, improve the taxation system, as to facilitate the investment, economic and social developments.
8. Harness the natural resources, as for the national benefits, prevent and suppress the natural intoxication, as a result of the national development.
9. Implement the international cooperations, especially with the ASEAN member countries, as for the agricultural, industrial, commercial, transport and communication developments.
10.
 Revise and enhance the efficiency of the state enterprises, involved with the infrastructure projects, as to meet the national requirement, dismember or sell the low-capacity state enterprises.

3. Social Policy

Justice

The government shall facilitate the court procedures, as to cut the processing time and cost, establish the special courts, i.e., administrative, laboral, taxation courts, in accordance with the social evolution, implement the efficient detention system, instead of the imprisonment, as for the sake of harmless criminals and national budgets.

Public Health

The government shall provide the health care service to the general public, be it protection, prevention, and treatment, especially for the regions and provinces, establish more distrital hospitals, municipal health and gynaecological centers, recruit the provincial medical officers, as for the greater medical accessibility, provide free medical treatment, as for the poor, increase the number of the mobile medical units, as for the sake of the remote provinces, enhance the efficiency of different types of health officers, as well as, implement the village health volunteer training, as for the support of essential health care service.

As for family planning, the government shall encourage the public awareness in the importance of the family planning, prevent and suppress the narcotics, and promote the narcotics rehabilitation.

Education

The government shall promote all-level education, provide the educational equality to the public, harmonize the education with the National Economic and Social Plans, extend the compulsory education network to the provinces, encourage the public participation in the development of the compulsory education, enhance the vocational and non-formal education, and support the private participation in the educational developments.

As for educational quality, the government shall narrow the urban and rural educational gap, implement the useful activities, as to encourage the national education, morals, health, discipline, unity, role, responsibility, and growth, in accordance with the democratic administration, with King as Head of State.

As for educational administration, the government shall harmonize the central and regional academic cooperations, in order to direct national education funds and promote national savings.

The government shall, moreover, preserve the national culture and cherish the religious institutions. As for universitarial education, the government shall enhance the quality, through the research and specialization, in accordance with the National Economic and Social Plans, improve the curricula, as to meet the national requirements, encourage the participation of universities in the social service, support the intervarsity cooperations, and promote the student activities, especially in arts and sports.

Administration

As to lay the strong foundations to the democratic system and organize the fair and transparent General Election of 1978, the government shall provide the apt democratic education to the public, enhance the efficiency of the Municipal Councils and Self-Protection Volunteer Villages, as in the administration, and enhance the welfare, will, and administration system of civil servants.

Mr. President,
Distinguished Members,

The royal government would like to vow that we shall administer the state affairs with perseverance and honesty, as to establish the national well-being, security, safety, and prosperity, which are the main objectives of us all. The government is pleased and prepared to listen to the viewpoints and suggestions from you all, hence, hopes to receive the kind cooperation of this Parliament, in order to establish the national security and prosperity.

Mr. President,
Distinguished Members,

Should you have any unclear or incomplete idea of the aforementioned policies, please do not hesitate to ask me and the Council of Ministers.

Thank you.

*National Legislation Council Meeting Report, Session 2, 1 December 1977, Pages 46-57

Unofficial Translation

 


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