Police, military prepare for Yingluck verdict
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan on Thursday said that he did not anticipate confrontation to occur on August 25, when a final verdict will be delivered to ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra.
The authorities have not paid special attention to the red-shirt movement, either domestic or overseas, Prawit said. There are also no reports suggesting possible violence so far, he added.
However, Prawit admitted that authorities have interviewed some key pro-Yingluck figures.
“But we didn’t suspend them,” he said.
Police and military have also coordinated to take care of the “overall orderliness” arising from the verdict, the deputy said.
“People do not need to gather en mass to provide [Yingluck] moral support. Only half of them [coming] will do or they can simply cheer [her] at home,” he said.
Meanwhile, Police chief General Chakthip Chaijinda insisted that the police have prepared for possible scenarios as well as monitoring online movements in social media.
Chakthip also said he has ordered his deputy, Pol General Srivara Ransibrahmanakul, to estimate the number of Yingluck supporters and prepare for measures that might be used August 25.
“I can’t think on behalf of those people, but I believe that they should know where the legal boundary is,” he added.