ID :
77900
Tue, 09/01/2009 - 20:19
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/77900
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Red Shirt rally on September 19 expected to be prolonged
BANGKOK, Sept 1 (TNA) – Thailand’s new Law and Order Maintenance Operation Centre, set up to maintain law and order in response to the challenge of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD)'s posed by the abortive rally on the past weekend now believes the Red Shirt's mass rally on September 19 would be prolonged, according to Deputy Government Spokesman Supachai Jaisamut.
The anti-government UDD pledged to rally on September 19, the third anniversary of the coup d'etat which toppled then-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Mr Supachai said Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who chairs the centre, reported to the Cabinet at its weekly meeting on the implementation of the Internal Security Act (ISA) during the past four days that the core leaders of UDD still attacked the government, accusing that its security forces use violence to control protesters during the post-ASEAN Songkran demonstrations in April.
Cabinet last week imposed the ISA for four days from last Saturday in the capital’s Dusit district where Red Shirt protesters planned to demonstrate.
Mr Supachai said the Center had evaluated the situation and believed that the UDD demonstration September 19 would be prolonged and its leaders were trying to make its supporters believe it could hold a rally no matter if it was legal or not, because in the past other groups could rally even though it was unlawful.
From now on, Mr Supachai said, the police would be the main channel of keeping law and order, while personnel from the Army, Navy and Air Force as well as the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)'s City Law Enforcement Department would play supportive roles.
If the situation could lead to violence capable of affecting internal security, the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) would ask the Cabinet to convene in special session to approve implementation of ISA.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the ISA in Dusit district expires Tuesday night and if there is necessity to re-implement the act, the special Cabinet session would announce the use of the Act.
He said the Law and Order Maintenance Operation Centre reported that the UDD was still active but could not conclude whether its activities would lead to violence.
The premier said the government had asked the concerned agencies related to tourism and economy, and was told that foreign investors understood the need to use the ISA, but some sectors believed that of the violence could be prevented, it would help stabilise the country.
Mr Abhisit said that he was scheduled to attend the 64th United Nations General Assembly in New York which would be opened on September 15 but he did not afraid that being out of the country would bring any political change in the country during his absent.
Then-prime minister Thaksin was deposed by the military-led Council for National Security (CNS) as he attended the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2006.
Mr Abhisit said he now must carry out his duty to attend the UN meeting and to also attend the G20 summit in Pittsburgh as the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
During the period he is not in the country, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep would be in charge, Mr Abhisit said. (TNA)
The anti-government UDD pledged to rally on September 19, the third anniversary of the coup d'etat which toppled then-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Mr Supachai said Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who chairs the centre, reported to the Cabinet at its weekly meeting on the implementation of the Internal Security Act (ISA) during the past four days that the core leaders of UDD still attacked the government, accusing that its security forces use violence to control protesters during the post-ASEAN Songkran demonstrations in April.
Cabinet last week imposed the ISA for four days from last Saturday in the capital’s Dusit district where Red Shirt protesters planned to demonstrate.
Mr Supachai said the Center had evaluated the situation and believed that the UDD demonstration September 19 would be prolonged and its leaders were trying to make its supporters believe it could hold a rally no matter if it was legal or not, because in the past other groups could rally even though it was unlawful.
From now on, Mr Supachai said, the police would be the main channel of keeping law and order, while personnel from the Army, Navy and Air Force as well as the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)'s City Law Enforcement Department would play supportive roles.
If the situation could lead to violence capable of affecting internal security, the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) would ask the Cabinet to convene in special session to approve implementation of ISA.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the ISA in Dusit district expires Tuesday night and if there is necessity to re-implement the act, the special Cabinet session would announce the use of the Act.
He said the Law and Order Maintenance Operation Centre reported that the UDD was still active but could not conclude whether its activities would lead to violence.
The premier said the government had asked the concerned agencies related to tourism and economy, and was told that foreign investors understood the need to use the ISA, but some sectors believed that of the violence could be prevented, it would help stabilise the country.
Mr Abhisit said that he was scheduled to attend the 64th United Nations General Assembly in New York which would be opened on September 15 but he did not afraid that being out of the country would bring any political change in the country during his absent.
Then-prime minister Thaksin was deposed by the military-led Council for National Security (CNS) as he attended the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2006.
Mr Abhisit said he now must carry out his duty to attend the UN meeting and to also attend the G20 summit in Pittsburgh as the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
During the period he is not in the country, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep would be in charge, Mr Abhisit said. (TNA)
