Police want ISA enforced against protesters

By The Nation

Cabinet to decide today; Government House, Parliament, Rajprasong to be off limit to protesters; Chalong remains defiant

The police force is encouraging the authorities to enforce the Internal Security Act, so both red and yellow-shirt movements can be restricted from rallying.

Police chief General Wichean Potephosree said yesterday that the Cabinet would discuss today the need for enforcing the ISA and prohibiting demonstrations from being held at Government House, Parliament and the Ratchaprasong business area.

Wichean was speaking to reporters after meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban at Government House.

Suthep, who is in charge of security affairs, had summoned senior police officers for a discussion at 9am. In attendance were Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lt-General Jakthip Chaijinda, assistant police chief Lt-General Worapong Chiewpreecha and Metropolitan Police Division 1 chief Maj-General Wichai Sangprasphai.

Wichean told reporters that the police officers had asked Suthep to enforce the ISA so protesters could be prohibited from taking over security zones. He said Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who is the ex-officio director of the Internal Security Operations Command, would urge the Cabinet to approve the ISA at its weekly meeting today.

However, the police chief said it would be up to the Cabinet to decide which areas should be declared security zones and off-limits to the protesters.

"Government House and Parliament would definitely be declared prohibited zones as they are at the centre of the state authority," Wichean said. "Once the ISA is enforced, the police can start pushing the protesters out immediately."

He said the police would be lenient when reclaiming public space from the yellow shirts rallying at the Makkhawan Bridge, adding that the move was necessary because the yellow shirts were planning a mass rally on Friday, and the red shirts were going to take to the streets on Sunday.

Wichean has also asked MPs and senators to speed through the public demonstration bill so police could use it as a tool to deal with protesters.

Upon hearing about the police force's request for the ISA, Chamlong Srimuang, a co-leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy, said the yellow shirts would not be forced to end the rally.

"We will be ready even if the police arrest us. We will not resist arrest. We are not challenging the police. I believe that being arrested is better than losing our land," he said. "We will return to rally once we are released."

He said if police used force against the demonstrators, then the yellow shirts would gather signatures to seek the prime minister's impeachment.

-- The Nation 2011-02-08

Interesting.

Now all of a sudden the police feel they can deal with the protesters. Are they figuring on the army coming in again to do there job?

I agree with you jayjay0