BANGKOK, April 3 – Military, police and civil personnel will be on full alert Saturday to prevent any confrontation between the two rival political groups which are separately organising rallies in Bangkok.
Sirima Sunawin, a spokesperson of the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO), said Deputy National Police Chief Pol Gen Worapong Chewpreecha will be in charge of security measures. He is assistant to the CAPO director.
Gen Worapong will meet with police and military personnel to assess the situation and assign government forces to maintain public order.
The pro-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), led by Jatuporn Prompan, plans a rally of red shirt supporters on Aksa Road in Buddhamonthon on the outskirts of Bangkok.
The anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), led by Suthep Thaugsuban, will meet with leaders of their movement nationwide to map out the next move to achieve their objective of national reform before a general election.
CAPO spokesman Sirima advised the public to not join either the UDD or PDRC activities to avoid violence.
She denounced a PDRC announcement which instigated protesters to take revenge on the UDD demonstration, saying the use of weapons or violence was unlawful.
She said six of 58 PDRC leaders charged with insurrection and disrupting the Feb 2 general election and other offences have reported to the authorities.
Ms Sirima said CAPO was disappointed with the Constitution Court’s dismissal of its petition to order the PDRC activities as unlawful following its attempt to remove the administrative system.
CAPO disagreed with the court’s ruling and feels sorry for Thai people who can no longer rely on the Constitution Court as a peace-keeping mechanism, she said.
