Parliamentary Police Panel Urges Opposition to Research Before Filing Inquiry

On September 25, 2569, at Phetchaburi province, the parliamentary Police Commission led by Wachraphong Kuwijitsuwan, Saraburi MP from the Bhumjaithai Party, visited the second training unit of the Territorial Defence Volunteer Command at Phetchaburi Camp in Chumphon district to study firearms control and storage measures. Wachraphong said the visit aimed to examine how the state prevents weapon loss in line with Prime Minister Anuthinchanveerakul's policy to protect public safety and property. Statistics from the past two to three years show 83 percent of firearm cases involve illegal, mishandled, wrong-type, or smuggled weapons, compared to just 17 percent involving legal firearms.

Wachraphong stated that the facilities at Phetchaburi Camp maintain high security standards and that the public can be assured weapons are safely secured and will not be illegally removed. When asked about the opposition's request for urgent measures, Wachraphong responded that if the opposition conducted proper research, they would see that the Prime Minister tasked the administration committee immediately upon taking office in 2566 to study and revise the Firearms Act. He confirmed the government has worked on this continuously and several provisions from the committee's study have already been included in the new bill awaiting parliamentary consideration.

Wachraphong acknowledged that opposition parties have the right to file interpellation motions and said the government is prepared to answer questions based on facts and lawful procedures. Regarding the opposition's call for public input on the issue, Wachraphong suggested the opposition should conduct thorough research first to understand what the government has accomplished, particularly on firearms legislation, before filing their inquiry. He noted that the office head of the Legal Affairs Department confirmed the Prime Minister has consistently ordered urgent action on this matter.