Keep off prohibited zones, police warn
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Say teargas will be used if protesters try to enter offlimits areas; Pracha denies plan to crack down
POLICE YESTERDAY warned protesters against entering prohibited zones around Bangkok or they would use teargas to force them out.
The warning was issued by Pol Maj-General Adul Narongsak, deputy commissioner and spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Bureau.
Adul said police had placed banners on the Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge area declaring it to be a zone for teargas use and warning protesters against entering it.
Adul said police had declared 11 areas to be off-limits to protesters. If demonstrators tried to break into prohibited zones, police would negotiate with them to leave.
If unsuccessful, they would then warn them that police would fire teargas to break up their gathering.
Meanwhile, Pol Maj-General Piya Uthayo, spokesman of the Peacekeeping Operations Centre, said Nang Lerng Police Station had summonsed two leaders of the Student and People Network for Thailand’s Reform to face charges of violating the enforcement of the Internal Security Act.
Nitithorn Lamlua and Uthai Yodmanee were charged with |leading protesters to enter zones prohibited under the ISA enforcement.
Police warned protesters it would teargas, although Deputy Prime Minister Pracha Promnok earlier yesterday quashed all rumours of a possible government crackdown on anti-government protesters.
Rebutting Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban’s claim he was the target of a government sniper, Pracha insisted that under the democratic regime, no violence would be used against protesters.
“The previous government deployed real weapons, leaving 99 dead and over 2,000 wounded. This government upholds democracy and respects peaceful demonstrations,” he said.
He also denied a rumour that officers had sneaked into protest sites with arms, saying that all officers were there to monitor the situation and stop any third-party involvement.
He attributed the throwing of small objects into a Government House police booth to such a third party.
Asked about the possibility of a military coup, he said the Supreme Commander had said all along that there would be no coup.
Department of Special Investigation (DSI) chief Tarit Pengdith yesterday gave a stern warning to anti-government protest leaders and their financial supporters.
In a statement, he urged all to cease their actions, to uphold democracy and the rule of law and restore the peace.
He said that there was no more reason to support protests, given that all coalition parties had agreed not to revisit the controversial amnesty bill.
Also, prolonged protests could lead to violence and chaos, which could damage lives and property as in the past. If this attempt continued, it was equivalent to stirring unrest, which violated the law.
