'People with political ties plotting to create unrest'
Play
Suspects summoned for questioning, Prawit says; man held over Facebook post
THE authorities have discovered a plot to incite unrest, as people with political connections are making moves aimed at provocation, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said yesterday.
He said preparations had been made to ensure public safety and security during upcoming important events, including the Loy Krathong Festival tomorrow, the Bike for Dad cycling event next month and the New Year celebration.
“We found a plot to cause unrest. This indicates that there is still no peace and conflict still exists. It’s bad enough that they want to cause unrest, and this seems to be done as a movement,” said Prawit, who is also defence minister.
A number of people suspected of being involved in the alleged plot had been summoned for questioning by the authorities, Prawit said.
In response to rumours on social media of possible security issues, he said relevant authorities throughout the country were monitoring the situation.
“My worry is for the whole country and there is no specific area of concern,” he said, adding that intelligence was being collected from all areas.
Meanwhile, a Khon Kaen man has been arrested for allegedly posting provocative messages on the Internet deemed to be a security threat, according to Colonel Jatupong Bokbon, deputy head of the Internal Security Operations Command in the northeastern province.
He said yesterday that the unidentified man posted “improper messages” through Facebook. The man was interrogated by the authorities, ac-cording to the colonel, who declined to give further details about the case.
“The authorities are closely following the situation to help prevent attempts to incite unrest,” Jatupong said. He also called on members of the public to help the authorities by reporting any suspicious activity.
In a related development, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has instructed peacekeeping forces around the country to take measures under the “Safety Thailand” plan to maintain public safety during the upcoming festivals and events, NCPO deputy spokesperson Colonel Sirichan Ngathong said yesterday.
She said General Chalermchai Sitthisart, the Army assistant chief, in his capacity as the NCPO’s deputy secretary general, issued the instruction while chairing a meeting of peacekeeping forces at the Royal Thai Army headquarters yesterday.
