BANGKOK, 4 February 2014The People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) on Monday surrounded the premises of a building being used to host the weekly Cabinet meeting for 5 hours to pressure the cabinet ministers to cancel the meeting.
PDRC leaders Phutthiphong Punnakan and Chumphon Chunlasai on Monday led the PDRC members to the Office of the Defense Ministry Permanent Secretary in Mueang Thong Thani after learning that the cabinet ministers were meeting there. The group blocked off all entrances to Mueang Thong Thani and threatened to cut the water and power feeds to the building they were cordoning. The building was protected by riot policemen, who stood their ground for 5 hours without incident. The PDRC group then withdrew from the area.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who was also the minister of defense, said after the event that she would continue to come to work at the MOD Permanent Secretary’s Office. She added that there will not be a Cabinet meeting at the building today (February 4).
Center for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO) chief advisor Surapong Towichakchaikun said on Monday there were no plans to relocate the venue of cabinet meetings or the workplace of the prime minister. He added that the venue was under the Emergency Executive Decree, and that it would be necessary to strictly enforce the law if protesters revisited the venue and cordon it off in the future.
