Thai authorities mull expanding areas under ISA

[webfact]

Authorities mull expanding areas under ISA
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- THE PEACEKEEPING Operations Centre, set up under the Internal Security Act (ISA), might decide to put more areas under the security law should the anti-amnesty protests escalate, its spokesman said yesterday.

Police Maj-General Piya Uthayo said the extent of crowd-control operations would depend on the protesters and their activities at Samsen train station, adding that it looked like the rally organisers were prepared to continue protesting for a long time.

The ISA currently covers |three Bangkok districts where Government House and Parliament are located. The enforcement expires this month.

As for maintaining peace and order, police and rally organisers have reached a two-point agreement:

The protesters will remain within the rally site, which has been marked from the Sethsiri-Kamphaeng Phet intersection in front of the Chuchan shop to the train station.

The protesters will be allowed to set up camp in the area and can use loudspeakers from 6pm to midnight.

Police have also reminded protesters that their rally site is located in an area that can be attacked by a third party, explaining that assailants can throw objects at them from the overhead expressway. The organisers have also been warned to control the crowds and ensure the train traffic is not blocked.

Apart from the anti-amnesty protesters, some 600 farmers have also been camping out near the train station, and anti-riot forces are worried about possible brawls between the two groups.

Meanwhile, National Police chief General Adul Saengsingkaew has instructed his subordinates to ensure strict enforcement of the law, comply with crowd-control procedures and keep their actions transparent.

When he was updating Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra about the situation, the police chief said, the PM ordered that the authorities adhere to the rule of law when dealing with protesters.

He said the police expected as many as 20,000 to 30,000 people to join the protest, adding that the anti-amnesty rally and the rubber farmers protesting in Prachuap Khiri Khan might be linked.

Some 40 companies of riot forces have been mobilised to ensure peace in the area.

Early yesterday, a number of Democrat MPs were seen supervising the setting up of the rally site.

Though roads near the site remained open, traffic was being redirected in some areas to facilitate flow.

Separately in Trang, more than 50 police officers were deployed to safeguard the provincial hall as a precautionary measure. Some 2,000 protesters are expected to show up in the area to voice opposition to the amnesty bill.


-- The Nation 2013-11-01

[ratcatcher]

That's it then, everything under control. The police are once again doing their job like they did in 2010 and The P.M. must be looking forward to the return of her brother.

[Scott]

An off-topic post has been removed. This is about the possible expansion of the ISA.

Stay on topic please.

[webfact]

CAPO not to expand ISA area to cover Sam Sen

BANGKOK, 1 November 2013, (NNT) – The Center for the Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO) has confirmed that the currently-imposed Internal Security ACT (ISA) in 3 districts of Bangkok will not be expanded to cover Sam Sen train station.

Despite the ongoing anti-government demonstration at Sam Sen train station, CAPO spokesperson Police Lieutenant General Piya Utayo said the expansion of ISA area to cover Sam Sen was unnecessary as the ISA was meant to protect the royal palace and other important places only. As long as the demonstrators gathered in peace, the expansion of ISA would't be needed, he added.

However, the CAPO would constantly assess all the movements, especially the rally at Sam Sen train station, which was led by the Opposition Democrat Party.

Police Lieutenant General Piya expected the number of demonstrators to increase during the weekend but assured the public that there were enough police to maintain law and order in those sites.

The ISA has since last month been imposed in 3 districts of Bangkok: Dusit, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, and Phra Nakhon. The imposed ISA will be in effect until the end of this month.


-- NNT 2013-11-01

[virtualtraveller]

It's all pointless, whether there's an ISA or not if any blood is spilt Yingluck must get indicted.

[rubl]

"The ISA has since last month been imposed in 3 districts of Bangkok: Dusit, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, and Phra Nakhon. The imposed ISA will be in effect until the end of this month."

The owner of a local 'Isan food' restaurant on Nakorn Chaisri Rd. (in Dusit area) is happy. Lots of the police people come to his place for lunch or supper. Thank you dear PM for stimulating the local economy

[ramrod711]

Meanwhile, National Police chief General Adul Saengsingkaew has instructed his subordinates to ensure strict enforcement of the law, comply with crowd-control procedures and keep their actions transparent.

How will they enforce this order? Perhaps they could abandon their posts and leave it to the army. I hope no one gets hurt, but if they do Yingluck is in foer a rough ride.

[AleG]

Meanwhile, National Police chief General Adul Saengsingkaew has instructed his subordinates to ensure strict enforcement of the law, comply with crowd-control procedures and keep their actions transparent.

How will they enforce this order? Perhaps they could abandon their posts and leave it to the army. I hope no one gets hurt, but if they do Yingluck is in foer a rough ride.

That, I think, explains why she's been so frantically trying to distance herself from the whole debacle, "It's a parliament thing, I wasn't even there, I know nothing!"

She's finding out that there may be more than she bargained for when she took the figurehead position for her brother; maybe she thought after doing the family duty she could leave the charade and go back to her pampered, carefree lifestyle.

Now things may start to go out of hand during "her" watch, and she will be made responsible for it, at the very least she may be facing years of civil and criminal court proceedings or having to run away like her brother did when all his abuses of authority caught up with him.