Police monitor 10 areas for signs of flood-related unrest
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Police are keeping a close watch on 10 sensitive areas in Greater Bangkok, concerned that prolonged flooding there might prompt stressedout locals to take to the streets.
In Bangkok’s Bang Khen district, many flood victims from the RamIndra area shut down the outbound lanes of RamIndra Road yesterday afternoon, paralysing traffic in the area.
The road blockage took place after Bang Khen District Office director Watcharaporn Kawayapnik failed to heed their demands that flood water be drained from their neighbourhoods within seven days.
Greater Bangkok refers to Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon.
Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra urged people to be reasonable, rather than act on their emotions.
“We can have discussions. Acting on emotions alone will just lead to damage [of property],” he said.
National Police Office spokesman MajGeneral Piya Utayo said many policemen had been assigned to monitor rallies and demonstrations held by flood victims to gather evidence should they violate laws or damage property.
“People have the constitutional right to assemble, but their rallies must be peaceful,” he said.
Piya said the 10 sensitive areas have been swamped with flood water of more than 50 cm for at least a month. They include communities north of the bigbag floodwall in Jantarubeksa and areas along the Phutthamonthol 2 – 4 roads.
There are a lot more than 10 floodhit areas needing special attention, however; indeed, RamIndra is not included in the police list.
Deputy National Police commissioner Pol General Pongsapat Pongcharoen, in his capacity as spokesman for the Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC), held meetings with representatives of flood victims in Pathum Thani’s Lam Luk Ka district and areas near Si Mum Muang Market to listen to their demands.
The Lam Luk Ka residents threatened to close a tollway if flooding in their area did not subside by the end of December.
“Flood water should at the very least subside enough for small vehicles to travel around,” one of the representatives said.
Sukhumbhand said he could not comply with suggestions by many people that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) simply allow runoff water from the upper part of the country to run through the capital and into the sea.
“Bangkok is the centre of government and business. The water flow into the capital must be controlled,” he said.
Flooding has already eased in many areas of the capital. Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Thanatip Sawangsang said flood water would be drained out of the Royal Thai Air Force headquarters and Don Mueang Airport, both in Bangkok, within 14 days.
The flood crisis has affected more than 5 million families around the country. The floodrelated death toll stands at 615 people, with three others reported as missing.
