BANGKOK, 9 February 2014 The People’s Democratic Reform Committee’s (PDRC)’s announcement of its plan to rally until the Songkran Festival is just part of the group’s psychological tactics to boost protesters’ morale, the NSC said.
According to Lieutenant General Paradorn Pattanathabutr, the Secretary-General of the National Security Council (NSC), the assets of those bankrolling the PDRC’s movement are currently in the process of being frozen by authorities. He added that businesses in the areas, which support the PDRC’s rallies have themselves begun to feel the impact of the protests.
Authorities will probably be able to freeze the PDRC’s assets by February 11, said Paradon. Meanwhile, the Center for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO) has summoned the owners of the Dusit Thani and the InterContinental Bangkok hotels for questioning over their reasons for providing shelter to PDRC core leaders. He also said that the government must inform the public that it is illegal to join the protests.
As for the M-79 grenade attack on the PDRC rally site at Chaeng Wattana on February 6, Paradorn said the incident was likely the work of third parties who are upset by the protests, adding that the rally site at Chaeng Wattana will eventually dissolve as protesters realize that it is a high-risk area.
