ISA extended to Nov 30
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A special Cabinet meeting Friday resolved to extend the enforcement of the Internal Security Act for three Bangkok districts until the end of the parliamentary session on November 30, the National Security Council chief said.
The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who is also the defence minister.
Paradorn Pattanathabutr, NSC secretarygeneral, said the ISA enforcement was originally extended from October 19 to November 30, covering the same eight subdistricts of three Bangkok districts.
He added that the ISA had been extended to November 30 because of the International Court of Justice’s announcement that it would make a ruling on the Preah Vihear Temple dispute on November 11.
Paradorn said security agencies had learned that protest groups would return to demonstrate outside the Government House.
A source said the Cabinet decided not to expand the areas under the ISA for fear of confrontation with protesters.
Meanwhile a source at the Urupong Intersection rally site said the protesters are expected to continue their rally until November 11 when the ICJ gives its ruling.
The source said about 200 guards of the yellowshirt movement would be deployed to guard the demonstrators.
Uthai Yodmanee, a leader of the group, said his group would continue rallying at the site against the government.
Also on Friday, Wasan Meewong, the spokesman for Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra, denied that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) was supporting the Students and People Network for Thailand Reform rally at the Urupong intersection.
Speaking on the radio programme FM 97 MHz, Wasan admitted that BMA had sent the electricgenerator cars to Urupong rally site. But, he said, the generators were sent for humanitarian reasons to provide lighting to prevent untoward incidents and violent incidents. He said police should be thankful that BMA was able to attend to the needs of every group of residents.
“Sukhumbhand was also Bangkok Governor in 2010 and he did the same thing for the redshirt rally. So, why are you questioning us today? Aren’t the protestors Thai citizens who are exercising their rights under the Constitution?” he said.
The Nation
