PRACHUAB KHIRI KHAN, Oct 27 – Thailand’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act has been imposed in this seaside province to maintain law and order as rubber growers continued their rally and blocked the main road leading to the southern region.
Prachuab Khiri Khan governor Veera Sriwattanatrakul said he imposed the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act banning persons from blocking the Petchakasem Road in Bang Saphan Noi district. Those who violate the law will face a maximum three-month jail term or maximum fine of Bt6000, or both.
He said police officers have also been standing by at Bang Saphan police station, some 20 kilometres from the rally site, and will respond immediately in any emergency.
National Police chief Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkaew said he has assigned deputy police chief Pol Gen Worapong Chiewpreecha to oversee the situation and follow up the case in the area
Although protesters have blocked part of Petchakasem Road, he said police have opened an optional route for motorists to avoid the rally site
Gen Adul noted that some anti-government activists have been found joining the rubber growers protest, and that police are considering withdrawing bail for some rubber growers who are under arrest warrants but released on bail.
Since yesterday the Prachuab Khiri Khan rubber growers network and representatives from 16 other rubber grower networks in the south protested at Petchakasem Road in Bang Saphan Noi district, urging the government to quickly resolve a response to the falling rubber prices and demanding that Deputy Premier Pracha Promnog and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na Ranong meet them for negotiations.
Their demands also include the transfer of the Prachuab Khiri Khan police commander from the province, as well as dropping legal charges against the protesters.
