ID :
55180
Mon, 04/13/2009 - 16:44
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/55180
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Thai supreme commander pledges to restore order
BANGKOK, April 13 (TNA) -- Thailand’s Supreme Commander Gen. Songkitti Jaggabatara said on Monday that the country's military personnel will use every possible means to restore order and will not use force against protesters, but only for self-defence.
Speaking in his capacity as director of the newly-established Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) in a live telecast, Gen. Songkitti said every Thai must respect and abide by the law, the Constitution.
“However, we (the military) reserve the right to use weapons for self-defence and to protect the rights of the general public,” Gen. Songkitti said.
He said the CRES would put full efforts into bringing normalcy to the country as soon as possible so that people could follow their normal daily life.
Gen. Songkitti’s remarks were made after a pre-dawn clash between government troops against anti-government protesters of the United Front for Democracy against dictatorship (UDD) which left 23 military and 47 protesters wounded or injured.
No one was killed in the clash as government troops used only ‘blanks’ against the protesters, according to army spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd.
As much of the public have travelled upcountry to celebrate Songkran, Thailand’s traditional New Year which began Monday and ends Wednesday, security personnel will carry out precautionary searches for weapons on travellers returning to the capital, Gen. Songkitti said. (TNA)
Speaking in his capacity as director of the newly-established Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) in a live telecast, Gen. Songkitti said every Thai must respect and abide by the law, the Constitution.
“However, we (the military) reserve the right to use weapons for self-defence and to protect the rights of the general public,” Gen. Songkitti said.
He said the CRES would put full efforts into bringing normalcy to the country as soon as possible so that people could follow their normal daily life.
Gen. Songkitti’s remarks were made after a pre-dawn clash between government troops against anti-government protesters of the United Front for Democracy against dictatorship (UDD) which left 23 military and 47 protesters wounded or injured.
No one was killed in the clash as government troops used only ‘blanks’ against the protesters, according to army spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd.
As much of the public have travelled upcountry to celebrate Songkran, Thailand’s traditional New Year which began Monday and ends Wednesday, security personnel will carry out precautionary searches for weapons on travellers returning to the capital, Gen. Songkitti said. (TNA)
