Plan to reclaim five key rally sites in Bangkok to begin this week

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POLITICS
Plan to reclaim five key rally sites to begin this week
The Nation

Protest leaders vow to defend rallies near Government House and other sites tomorrow

BANGKOK: -- The government's Centre for Maintaining Law and Order (CMPO) yesterday issued an ultimatum to anti-government protests, saying it will this week seek to reclaim five areas in Bangkok currently occupied by the protesters, CMPO chief Chalerm Yoobamrung said yesterday.

Chalerm said the CMPO would refrain from using force but focus on negotiations - which would be televised via Channels 9 and 11 - to get People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) protesters to withdraw from five sites.

He did not specify when exactly the actions would be taken but the earliest operations may begin on Tuesday.

These were protests near Government House, the Government Complex on Chaeng Wattana Road, on Rajdamnoen Avenue from Makkhawan Rangsan bridge to Phan Fah Lilat Bridge, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Energy.

Chalerm was speaking before PDRC secretary general Suthep Thaugsuban vowed to block the Government House this morning.

Chalerm said the government had exercised tolerance and restraint with the protesters for some time and had received complaints and requests from people affected by the protest that it take action against illegal gatherings.

The CMPO may start the operation tomorrow. He pleaded with protesters in those five areas to withdraw and join the protests led by PDRC chief Suthep Thaugsuban at Pathumwan intersection or Lumpini Park.

Chalerm said government intelligence agents had found some weapons were stored at the protest site near Government House and suspects wanted by police were allegedly hiding there.

During the process to reclaim areas around Government House, if security officials hear any sound of gunfire, they had the right to protect themselves, he said.

"I have ordered more police for this operation than at any other time. Police have the right to protect themselves if suspects wanted by police resist arrest."

Chalerm said he had sent Bangkok Police Chief Pol Lt Gen Camronwit Toopgrajank, plus Assistant National Police Chief Pol Maj-Gen Chaktip Chaichinda to negotiate with protesters many times but to no avail. He insisted the police abide by international standards in reclaiming the areas.

The CMPO chief denied that the government was responsible for an M79 attack at the Criminal Court on Ratchadapisek Road or bullets shot into the home of Pramon Sutheewong, chairman of an anti-corruption network.

He said police suspected that an ill-intentioned third party carried out these attacks to cast blame on the government.

Meanwhile, monastic protest leader, Phra Buddha Issara, agreed to open some roads near the Chaeng Wattana rally at 4pm.

After a televised negotiation with police, Luang Pu Buddha Issara agreed to open some roads near the Government Complex around the clock but asked the negotiator to guarantee the protesters' safety. The monk said representatives would be appointed and sent to meet with the police in a few days. He would wait for police to set the schedule and make the appointment.

Luang Pu Buddha Issara negotiated with police via a video link. Police asked for the road to be opened and the monk asked if police would be responsible for injuries or any danger to the protesters if the road was opened, as requested.

The police said that proper measures would be adopted and they believed they would be able to keep situation under control.

Meanwhile, Nitithorn Lamlua, leader of the Students' and People's Reform for Thailand (SRT), said his group would not allow caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to resume work at Government House on Wednesday, warning there would be drama if the government went ahead with this plan.

He responded to Chalerm's statement that if the SRT blocked the bid to disperse protesters, there would be fighting.

"I challenge Chalerm to fight me at the gate of Government House. I suggest that officials in this operation put their names and ranks clearly and do not bring in arms to destroy lives and property because we have only empty hands to deal with them,'' he said.

Nitithorn called on police to not destroy goods or property of the protesters, such as paintings that could be auctioned for millions of baht on rally stages.

He believed thousands of protesters would pour into the protest site to block the police operation. "Please carry out your duty as police officers and not bandits, as you did in earlier in your previous operations,'' he said.

Uthai Yodmani, an STR coordinator, said if Yingluck insisted on resuming work at Government House on Wednesday to fulfil her own superstition or black magic, there would definitely be further losses for the country. He insisted that the government had never offered to hold talks.

The anti-government movement has formed two rapid-deployment teams to hound Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and key members of the Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order. Witthaya Kaewparadai, a leader of the PDRC, said yesterday the teams would also shadow key Cabinet members to let know how the people feel about them.


-- The Nation 2014-02-17

[harada]

This afternoon, this week, this month ?

[chooka]

Stop procrastinating and just get on with it.

[carbine1125]

Stop procrastinating and just get on with it.

Maybe you should go and show them how!

[NongKhaiKid]

" If security officials hear gunfire they have a right ti protect themselves. "

Yes indeed and would be a reasonable statement if made by just about anyone except Chalerm as it could cover a multitude of sins.

Hearing gunfire is one thing but what about knowing where it came from and who has actually opened fire ?

Hearing cannot become an excuse for a knee jerk response.

[tezzainoz]

Stop procrastinating and just get on with it.

Maybe you should go and show them how!

I must second the statement

some members here are more talk than the the government

[brewsterbudgen]

Stop procrastinating and just get on with it.

Maybe you should go and show them how!

I must second the statement

some members here are more talk than the the government

Does that make any sense?

[Soutpeel]

Uthai Yodmani, an STR coordinator, said if Yingluck insisted on resuming work at Government House on Wednesday to fulfil her own superstition or black magic, there would definitely be further losses for the country.

This is the most worrying statement....black magic...!!!!...whats has YK got in mind...sticking pins in a vodoo doll of Suthep, sacrificing chickens and drinking their blood ?

Seeing as a lot of the black magic rituals involve alcohol, one assumes Chalerm will be in the front row for the proceedings

[englishoak]

Uthai Yodmani, an STR coordinator, said if Yingluck insisted on resuming work at Government House on Wednesday to fulfil her own superstition or black magic, there would definitely be further losses for the country.

This is the most worrying statement....black magic...!!!!...whats has YK got in mind...sticking pins in a vodoo doll of Suthep, sacrificing chickens and drinking their blood ?

Seeing as a lot of the black magic rituals involve alcohol, one assumes Chalerm will be in the front row for the proceedings

The facebook press it out in force on the black magic thing... latest diatribe of Suthep and co is to try and play the mumbo jumbo wicked witch of the east card with Yingluck.... gets more stupid and twilight zone every week lol

[gemini81]

Uthai Yodmani, an STR coordinator, said if Yingluck insisted on resuming work at Government House on Wednesday to fulfil her own superstition or black magic, there would definitely be further losses for the country.

This is the most worrying statement....black magic...!!!!...whats has YK got in mind...sticking pins in a vodoo doll of Suthep, sacrificing chickens and drinking their blood ?

Seeing as a lot of the black magic rituals involve alcohol, one assumes Chalerm will be in the front row for the proceedings

Evidence of falsehood in any of her little fortune telling sessions, or superstitions, can seen in the fact that she never worked; just occupied positions by title, ever since being placed in 'job positions' by her brother.

When she is given a vision of the concept of work as in labor and thinking as opposed to self pride through nepotism and thinking of image and fashion only, I'll stop rolling my eyes and laughing at her (maybe).

Edited February 17, 2014 by gemini81

[Artisi]

What's the pissed dwarfs attire for this week, so he can infiltrate the demonstrations, any idea's?

[tomacht8]

This is getting bizarre.

A monk who is directing the traffic.

A deaf ear medicine abuser who leads the police.

A protest leader who is concerned about painted images.

A Prime Minister, who operates black magic.
Rice Farmers as beggars at the airport.
I hope Thailand can solve this mess.

[Suriya4]

Wait for the rainy season, all people will be gone under the down pour.

[RJF]

This is getting bizarre.

A monk who is directing the traffic.

A deaf ear medicine abuser who leads the police.

A protest leader who is concerned about painted images.

A Prime Minister, who operates black magic.

Rice Farmers as beggars at the airport.

I hope Thailand can solve this mess.

Also known as 'Amazing Thailand'

[harada]

" If security officials hear gunfire they have a right ti protect themselves. "

Yes indeed and would be a reasonable statement if made by just about anyone except Chalerm as it could cover a multitude of sins.

Hearing gunfire is one thing but what about knowing where it came from and who has actually opened fire ?

Hearing cannot become an excuse for a knee jerk response.

Small, drunk man wearing hat and dark glasses seen buying fireworks near Government House this morning.

[Thormaturge]

I am trying to figure out who is the bigger fool here.

Yingluck for approaching a fortune teller or Suthep for acting on the fortune teller's predictions.

Now, if the press could have announced that a fortune teller predicted Suthep would lose his manhood if the Democrat party failed to stand in the recent elections all of this might have been avoided.

[Mentors]

If the Thai people dont want to loose more tourist in Bangkok, then kick the Whistle Mob out of Asoke. Travelling by taxi from parts of Sukhumvit to Suvarnababhumi is horrible.

[bkkjames]

If the Thai people dont want to loose more tourist in Bangkok, then kick the Whistle Mob out of Asoke. Travelling by taxi from parts of Sukhumvit to Suvarnababhumi is horrible.

Mate, the traffic on Sukhumvit has been horrible since the new car rebate scheme. In fact dare I suggest that the traffic on Sukhumvit is better since the protest began, less cars. lol

Edited February 17, 2014 by bkkjames

[aussiebebe]

I wish the government would stop 'planning' and just get on with it.
Having just returned from getting my son a new Thai passport, I've come to the conclusion that the so-called 'anti-government' protesters could more aptly be described as 'anti-people' protesters.
Because Chaeng Wattana site is closed, there are terrific queues at the Bang Na passport office and people need to start queuing at midnight to have a chance of getting a new passport.
The protests are doing nothing except inconveniencing hundreds of thousands of Thais and disuading people from voting for the Democrat party.

[tx22cb]

I wish the government would stop 'planning' and just get on with it.

Having just returned from getting my son a new Thai passport, I've come to the conclusion that the so-called 'anti-government' protesters could more aptly be described as 'anti-people' protesters.

Because Chaeng Wattana site is closed, there are terrific queues at the Bang Na passport office and people need to start queuing at midnight to have a chance of getting a new passport.

The protests are doing nothing except inconveniencing hundreds of thousands of Thais and disuading people from voting for the Democrat party.

"and disuading people from voting for the Democrat party."

The Dems don't mind - they have no chance in the elections. So instead of depending on votes, the Dems are hoping to get into power by other avenues.

[Mr Yim]

My sides are splitting with another bout of hilarious jokes about Chalerm and his liking for alcohol.