First Army Area deploy troops to keep order

[Gadfly]

First Army Area commander-general Prayuth Chan-ocha Saturday expressed full readiness to keep the peace in the capital with 20 companies deployed to control the pro-Thaksin demonstration.

 

Thaksin supporters had earlier in the day issued an ultimatum to the Council for National Security to step aside and let the former prime minister return to power.

 

Prayuth said the military had a backup plan in case protest-leaders broke their promise not to take to the streets.

 

Thaksin followers were reportedly going to march to Privy Council chief Prem Tinsulanonda's residence and call for him to resign. Last Saturday they trooped from Sanam Luang to Army headquarters on Rajdamnoen Avenue.

Prayuth denied that the military planned to organise groups of protestors to clash with pro-Thaksin organisations so as to justify drastic action against them.

 

"We cannot do that. Security officials have to avoid that, because it would cause the incident to escalate," he said.

 

If the situation does not turn violent and chaotic, as for instance with protesters setting property on fire or storming state offices, there is no need to declare a state of emergency, he said, but if protest leaders incite the crowd to instigate violence, the government will have to do so.

 

The Army has joined forces with police to protect all government offices along Rajdamnoen Avenue.

Council for National Security chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin will take charge of overall security and keep in touch with Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont. The First Army Area, which oversees the capital, will take orders from Sonthi, Prayuth added.

CNS spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said security officials had been instructed to communicate politely with protesters and avoid confrontation.

 

"If there's a scene anywhere, officers will defuse the situation case by case," he said.

 

Troops Ready

******

 

I wonder how this will end?

[junglesoup]

I suppose it depends how angry the protesters are. It would appear that this event has some potential for a violence. Hope not, but large crowds together can, and bein caught up in the atmosphere in a large crowd may cause some people to set of a chain reaction of violence throughout the crowd...

[Faustian]

However it rains in Bangkok a lot at the moment, so tempers will be cooled. Nothing like a good downpour to make folks put off today what they might do tomorrow.

[Flashermac]

THE NATION

17 June 2007

 

 

CNS gets ultimatum for talks:

 

Negotiate or the next march will be huge, says 'Democratic Alliance Against Dictators'

 

 

As tension over possible clashes escalated, anti-junta leaders yesterday tried to defuse anxiety by giving the Council for National Security (CNS) three days to join them in negotiations.

 

Otherwise the anti-junta league will mobilise a massive protest march, Democratic Alliance Against Dictators chairman Manit Jitchankrab said.

 

Almost 10,000 protesters held a peaceful gathering until 10 pm amid occasional showers.

 

The alliance wants talks with the CNS or its representatives at Sanam Luang or on state-controlled television Channel 11.

 

The army and police are taking no chances, however. They beefed up security at last night's rally and banned the sale of alcohol near Sanam Luang. Protes-ters assembled there were order-ed not to cross the Makhawan Bridge that leads to Army Headquarters.

 

In a related development, former anti-Thaksin Shinawatra protest leader Sondhi Limthongkul revived his movement, too.

 

Some 3,000 people assembled at the Royal Plaza wearing yellow in a show of force, while a third group of concerned citizens wishing not to see violent confrontation between citizens encouraged the public to come out today to send a signal of opposition to violence.

 

The junta is not taking a chance, however, and it claims "a group of motorcyclists" is bent on instigating clashes in Bangkok. They accused demonstrators of "lacking ideology and legitimacy".

 

Manit, a former Criminal Court judge, sent alliance leader Weng Tojirakarn to the CNS with the negotiation demand.

 

"We should seek a solution together," Manit said. His alliance has called for the immediate resignation of the CNS and a general election.

 

"We can negotiate at Sanam Luang or on Channel 11, which belongs to the Public Relations Department. Let people decide whom they want."

 

Group leaders insist it will not march within three days of delivery of the negotiation demand.

 

Last Saturday more than 10,000 mostly pro-Thaksin Shinawatra supporters and anti-junta demonstrators marched to Army Headquarters. Some were involved in minor late-night skirmishes as they broke through police barricades to reach their destination.

 

Manit said the alliance had asked itself why it should march again. "Actually, the meeting wanted to march to Army Headquarters to wait for a reply. I asked the rest if they wanted to physically occupy the site or arrest the eight CNS members, though they wouldn't be there waiting for us when we arrived," said Manit.

 

He added that as a judge who had served for four decades he had never once wanted to see the Kingdom plunged into chaos. He said he had threatened to resign if the group insisted on marching last night.

 

PTV and alliance leader Chatuporn Phromphan said the group was ready to march.

 

It decided to hold off and meet later after rumour spread of attempts to instigate violence by others, he said, calling these efforts a bid for a pretext for the declaration of a state of emergency. "We do not wish to see any lives sacrificed," he said.

 

Meanwhile, caretaker of the now disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party Chaturon Chaisang visited the Royal Hotel near the rally site early in the evening. There he had a meeting with protest leaders for two hours. He left without comment in the late afternoon.

 

Chaturon told a group of supporters from Chachoengsao province earlier in the day that he would definitely continue in politics in spite of last month's ban by the Constitution Tribunal.

 

"People feel the dissolution of the party, and the revoking of the electoral rights of its executive were unjust. Support for the Thai Rak Thai has increased sharply. The coming election will show the people do not accept dictatorship."

 

At the rally site, police banned the sale and consumption of alcohol. They worried it would lead to "reckless action and violence".

 

Some 20 companies of soldiers were deployed along with 1,200 police, including 200 women officers.

 

Soldiers and police were warned to use restraint.

 

Army Headquarters was guarded by some 750 police officers and barricaded using metal traffic dividers. Lorry headlights were used for illumination.

 

Extra police were sent to Government House and the official residence of Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda.

 

A member of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai, Kuthep Saikrachang, said the public should not be alarmed at Thaksin's pre-recorded speech delivered to a rally on Friday night because he had not been calling for unrest.