NAKHON SI THAMMARAT, Sept 17 – Rubber planter protesters still occupy Kuan Nong Hong intersection in this southern province today while Nakhon Si Thammarat governor pledged no use of force to disperse them.
The provincial administration earlier imposed the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act following violence on a highway where protesters injured scores of police officers and set fire to 11 police vehicles
Nakhon Si Thammarat governor Wiroj Jiwarangsan announced the use of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act 2007, declaring the protest site, Kuan Nong Hong intersection in Cha-uat distrct, as a restricted area and a dangerrous zone after finding that the situation was uncontrollable.
He urged the protesters to stop violating the law, saying that burning police cars was illegal.
The governor vowed that the authorities would not use force to disperse the demonstration and the Act banning people to stay away from the rally site to be enforced until noon.
As of Tuesday morning, protesters continued their demonstration on the highway and some of the burnt cars were pulled to block the road.
Yongyuth Charoenvanich, Region 8 Provincial Police commander, said police officers remained on duty at Kuan Nong Hong intersection following the clash yesterday afternoon.
Some 1,500 protesters returned to block the roads at the intersection again just hours after police dispersed demonstrators Monday morning to open the traffic.
They later clashed with the police before burning police vehicles.
Two rifles were stolen from a police car but one was later returned, he said.
The protesters insisted that they disagreed with the government’s latest decision on financial aid to rubber farmers. They wanted the government to instead pledge an agreed rubber price.
