Armed Forces Prepare To Keep The Peace, Law And Order During Udd Rally

[webfact]

Armed Forces prepare to keep the peace, law and order during UDD rally

BANGKOK, Sept 18 (TNA) – Thailand's armed forces on Friday reaffirmed their readiness to keep the peace, and maintain law and order during Saturday's scheduled protest by the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) at the Royal Plaza marking the third anniversary of the 2006 coup which ousted then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, according to Defence Ministry Permanent Secretary Gen Apichart Penkitti.

Gen Apichart affirmed there would be no coup during Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's absence from Thailand during his overseas trip September 21-27.

The armed forces believe that problems Thailand's political differences can be resolved through the established legal framework and that all services and levels of officers have never considered using a coup d'etat to try to solve political and social problems, he said.

Under no circumstances, he emphasized, would there be any condition that could lead to coup, as the idea is considered outdated by Thailand's top brass.

Meanwhile, Army Chief Gen Anupong Paochinda also strongly affirmed that there would be no coup as it was a big matter, not easy to arrange and that it would affect all people.

Gen Anupong said he would work strictly under the framework assigned by the prime minister and would maintain law and order and keep the peace in the kingdom.

As for the UDD rally on Saturday, the permanent secretary said that the security agencies had jointly prepared 33 companies of military personnel and 30 companies of police to be on duty and standing by for any contingency.

The prime minister had stressed that the operation would be carried out carefully to avoid any clash or other violence, he said, adding that the handling of the protesters would carried out according to international standards, using only batons and shields, while tear gas would be a tool of last resort.

Military weapons would definitely not be used, while batons and shields would only be used when necessary, he added. (TNA)

-- TNA 2009/09/18

[jpolten]

"Gen Apichart affirmed there would be no coup during Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's absence from Thailand during his overseas trip September 21-27"

hmmm.....

[Scott]

No mention of what happens on the 28th though.

[jasreeve17]

Quote: "The armed forces believe that problems Thailand's political differences can be resolved through the established legal framework and that all services and levels of officers have never considered using a coup d'etat to try to solve political and social problems, he said.

Under no circumstances, he emphasized, would there be any condition that could lead to coup, as the idea is considered outdated by Thailand's top brass."

The oficers that conducted the last coup d'etat have never considered using a coup d'etat...

Edited September 18, 2009 by jasreeve17

[Thai at Heart]

No mention of what happens on the 28th though.

as the idea is considered outdated by Thailand's top brass.

And finally after 70 years of meddling, let's hope they truly believe it.

[Plus]

Request to the mods - why don't you pull all 19 Sept rally threads into one instead of a dozen confusingly similar topics.

And when the next generic "The police promise to keep peace" article arrives, append it to that thread.

It's impossible to maintain a discussion across all these separate threads.

[Publicus]

Request to the mods - why don't you pull all 19 Sept rally threads into one instead of a dozen confusingly similar topics.

And when the next generic "The police promise to keep peace" article arrives, append it to that thread.

It's impossible to maintain a discussion across all these separate threads.

Hear, Hear!!

[britmaveric]

Well not exactly going to say their will be a coup now are they...

[dre1247]

The laws are there. Also the law for the official who does not do his job to keep the law.

Section 215.- Whenever ten persons upwards being assembled together do or threaten to do an act of violence, or do any thing to cause a breach of the peace, every such person shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding six months or fine not exceeding one thousand baht, or both.

Section 216.- Whenever an official orders the persons assembled together in order to commit the offence prescribed in Section 215 to disperse, any person who does not disperse shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding three years or fine not exceeding six thousand baht, or both.

(3)Section 157.- Whoever, being an official, wrongfully exercises or does not exercise any of his functions to the injury of any person, or dishonestly exercises or omits to exercise any of his functions, shall be punished with imprisonment of one to ten years or fine of two thousand to twenty thousand bath, or both.

So here you are, education and the rule of law and we all live happily ever after.. or not?

[Richard W]

The oficers that conducted the last coup d'etat have never considered using a coup d'etat...

Instinctive reaction?

[soloman]

I don't get it. Why did they need to affirm that there would be no coup. Was one expected??

[Chunkton]

Saw a clip on Asia News showing the army lining up behind barbed wire armed to the teeth ready to counter yet more rioting. Thought it was a nice look for Thailand, in fact one we are becoming all too familiar with.

Seems the government is happy to have these images of armed troops beamed to the world, but don't anyone dare talk about jet ski corruption.

[Scott]

Per request of some posters, this thread will be closed. Please post comments in other threads dealing with the issue of the rally.