Anti-violence centres set up by Thai police prior to national poll

BANGKOK, March 9 (TNA) - The Royal Thai Police is setting up anti-violence centres across the country to prevent and deal with untoward incidents--as part of Thailand's preparations for the next general election later this year.

Thai Deputy National Police Chief Police General Phanupong Singhara Na Ayutthaya, in his capacity as chief of the Royal Thai Police's prevention and management centre against untoward incidents, said on Wednesday that Thai National Police Chief Police General Wichean Potposree has ordered police across the country to set up ad-hoc centres against untoward incidents in their respective areas and to regularly send teams of officers to inspect any conflict or other threatening cases in local administrative bodies to effectively prevent or deal with deadly violence related to electoral campaigns and the fresh general election in the coming months.

Police General Phanupong acknowledged that, under the Thai national police chief's order, police in any area found to be negligent leading to violence will be transferred out of the area and those who are found to be bias or to take any side unfairly will be taken legal action for disciplinary or criminal offences. (TNA)