Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has urged all ministries to adopt the royal speech of His Majesty the King as the guideline for their operations.
The call was made at the Cabinet meeting on 11 December 2012, when she referred to the royal speech given at the grand public audience granted by His Majesty the King on his birthday, 5 December 2012.
Government Spokesman Tosaporn Serirak quoted the Prime Minister as saying that all ministries should follow the guidance pertaining to compassion and happiness of the people in the royal speech.
His Majesty the King appeared on the open balcony of the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall in the grand public audience, as part of the celebrations of His Majesty’s 85th birthday. In his speech, His Majesty said he believed that compassion and good wishes toward one another would be a significant factor in creating a unifying force in any group and also in the country.
His Majesty stated that if Thai people upheld this virtue in their hearts and minds, they could be assured that, in any situation, the country would be safe and would survive. He wished everyone and the country peace and happiness.
Prime Minister Yingluck said that the royal speech was valuable for the people of the whole country and that she would adopt it as a major principle in working for the nation. She also mentioned the royal speech in the program “Yingluck Government Meets the People,” broadcast on Radio Thailand and NBT Television on 8 December 2012.
The Government Spokesman said that, regarding the issue of constitutional amendments, the Government would also follow guidance in the royal speech for peace and happiness, as well as unity among the people. He said that the Prime Minister had assigned the Ministry of Justice to seek ways to handle the issue, such as organizing a public forum or referendum to allow public participation in charter changes. The Ministry of Justice was told to come up with a solution to the issue and submit it to the Cabinet as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the Office of the Royal Development Project Board, Mr. Suwat Thep-aruk, said that there are currently more than 4,000 royally initiated projects. The Government has arranged systems to accommodate the projects in response to His Majesty’s wishes.
Mr. Suwat said that His Majesty the King had given advice on various development projects, so that the people would have better living conditions. The latest statistics show that about 4,100 royally initiated projects are being carried out across the country. Among them, 2,500 are involved with water source development.
He said that meetings had been held in 2012 with relevant agencies and local residents on many projects concerning the development of weirs and river basins, in order to set directions for sustainable development, with emphasis on public participation. The projects would be expanded further in all parts of the country. He said that royally initiated projects aimed for the benefit of the majority and the improvement of the people’s quality of life.
(thailand.prd.go.th)