Legal experts warn Article 44 remains major impediment
Unless the absolute power of Article 44 and existing National Council for Peace and Order’s orders are revoked, citizens will still face a struggle to protect the environment and their rights, legal experts say. As the new constitution came into effect yesterday, legal experts who work with environmental groups and community rights campaigners expressed concerns that there was still a tough fight ahead to push forward with sustainable development and people’s rights. “Life under the new constitution for the people who fight to protect their communities and the rights to manage their livelihoods will still remain tough. Moreover, they will have to fight harder to get the government to protect their rights and the environment,” Sor Rattanamanee Polkla, a lawyer from Community Resource Centre Foundation, said.
