Security Gears Up To Enforce Isa

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PRO-THAKSIN RALLY

Security gears up to enforce ISA

By Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

Published on September 18, 2009

Security gears up to enforce ISA

Isoc deploys combined troops of 6,500

The government will dispatch a combined force of over 6,500 to maintain law and order during the red shirts' mass rally at the Royal Plaza tomorrow.

Roads around Government House and the old Army Club, which is next to the residence of Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda, will be partly closed to vehicular traffic to "facilitate the officials involved in the operation".

Acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said yesterday that intelligence showed that protesters would gather at the premises of certain state offices including military barracks and homes of important figures.

Panitan urged anyone with information about possible acts of violence to alert authorities. He also asked the mass media to cover the protest accurately and objectively, in order to prevent panic.

Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said 63 companies - 33 from the three Armed Forces branches and 30 from the police - would be deployed to enforce the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Also on hand would be 350 Bangkok-based officials from the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc).

Each company is staffed by about 100 officers or more - up to 150 for military units.

The two spokesmen held their press conference after a meeting of agencies at Government House to discuss preparations for tomorrow. The meeting, which lasted almost an hour, was chaired by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva as ex-officio director of Isoc.

Abhisit said the Cabinet would extend the ISA if the demonstrations run on until Tuesday.

Abhisit was confident that his deputy, Suthep Thaugsuban, who is in charge of security affairs, could control the situation while he is away in the United States for international meetings.

He also said he was sure to return to the country "safe and sound" afterwards, dismissing rumours of a coup during his absence.

Suthep later held a meeting of military commanders at Army headquarters to discuss the measures in detail.

The Cabinet on Tuesday invoked the ISA for Dusit district from today to Tuesday.

The Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order, which will enforce the ISA, said some stretches of roads around Government House and the old Army Club would be closed off, including Nakhon Pathom, Look Luang, Rajdamnoen Nok, Si Ayutthaya and Samsen Soi 12.

The officers involved in the peacekeeping operation would be unarmed, carrying only batons, shields and other gear for crowd-control purposes, the centre said in a statement.

Checkpoints would be set up in areas expected to be used by the protesters in order to screen out people carrying weapons.

Authorities would not use force except in cases of violence and violations of law, regulations and prohibitions imposed, the statement said.

-- The Nation 2009/09/18