Chalerm warning a 'veiled threat'
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Deputy PM will be held responsible if anything happens, Abhisit says
Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung yesterday warned protesters wearing white Guy Fawkes’ masks against changing their protest site, saying they would be exposed to bomb attacks by “third parties”.
However, his warning was seen by the opposition and critics as a veiled threat against the demonstrators, whose numbers have been steadily increasing in recent weeks.
Chalerm, meanwhile, has insisted that he had good intentions because intelligence officers had learned that certain third-party groups were threatening to create a disturbance by launching bomb attacks against the protesters.
The anti-government white-mask group does not have a clear leader, and organises its protests through Facebook.
“If the white-mask people roam around and someone lobs a grenade at them, who will be held responsible? Eventually, it will be the government,” Chalerm warned.
He said the government was not trying to stop the group from demonstrating but they should stay in one place instead of continuously changing location.
“We will take care of you, white masks, but if you move around and an explosion occurs, what will happen then?” Chalerm said, adding that the movement should rally at the Royal Plaza, Sanam Luang or outside Lumpini Park.
He said the group could continue attacking the government, provided they did not move their protest location and exposed themselves to bomb attacks.
Chalerm had already previously warned white-mask protesters that they might be attacked, however, his comments yesterday were more specific, claiming that intelligence officers had learned that they might be a direct target.
The protesters yesterday posted a message on the “V for Thailand” Facebook page that the group was not afraid of such attacks and they had 200 volunteer guards. Moreover, it said, ensuring Thai citizens’ safety was the government’s responsibility.
Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, meanwhile, said that if the protesters were attacked then Chalerm would be held personally responsible because he was in charge of security affairs.
Abhisit said Chalerm should have taken action to protect the protesters when he learned about the potential bomb attacks, instead of issuing veiled threats.
In response to Abhisit’s comments, Chalerm said he was not issuing threats, but merely wanted to warn the demonstrators of the dangers they might face.
“Abhisit doesn’t have to teach me about responsibility. I am a police officer and I am well aware that if people are killed, I will have to issue an apology and maybe even face legal action,” Chalerm said, alluding to the 98 deaths during the 2010 government crackdown on red-shirt protesters by the Abhisit government.
Chalerm also alleged that the Democrats were behind the white-mask group.
“If they [the Democrat Party] were not been behind the white masks, the group would not have grown so quickly,” Chalerm said.
Suriyasai Katasila, coordinator of the Green Politics Group, agreed that Chalerm appeared to be intimidating the white-mask movement. He added that the government had the duty to oversee security and prevent violence, but Chalerm appeared to be inciting opponents of the white-mask group to use violence against them.
“This kind of talk suggests that the government has malicious intent against the white-mask group,” Suriyasai said.
He added that intimidating the group would only lead to them gaining more public sympathy and support.
