UPDATE: Confrontation defused
By Post Reporters, BangkokPost.com
The government late on Saturday retreated from plans to use force to disperse the People’s Alliance for Democracy demonstrators at the Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge, after protesters refused to budge and violence seemed inevitable.
Interior Minister Chalerm Yubamrung, assigned by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to take charge of handling the street protest, said late on Saturday that the plan to break up the demonstration was dropped.
Mr Chalerm said the prime minister’s threat to use force to end the protest was prompted by a report that ill-intentioned people gathered at a law office in Bang Pho area to plot violence against the protest.
He claimed that the government managed to thwart attempts to instigate violence at the protest site and thus there was no need to disperse the demonstrators.
He gave assurances that the protesters could carry on with the rally as long as it proceeds under the law.
Mr Chalerm’s announcement came less than 12 hours after Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej announced on television in a special Saturday morning broadcast to the nation that he would break up the PAD protest. (Click here for earlier story of the speech.)
In his live broadcast carried on Channel 9 and NBT, Mr Samak said he would order action to disperse protesters.
Tension immediately began to build. Hundreds of police including special units in full riot gear were deployed at the Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge, while the demonstrators were equipped with protection gears such as helmets and plywood shields.
“I will take them out from that spot. They are accumulating criminals to carry out a criminal act in the country. You have to take responsibility for what you are doing. I will not tolerate this. Police and soldiers will not either. I’ll break them today. Preparations have been made. If you want to try (to resist), go ahead,” Mr Samak said in the TV address.
The prime minister’s warning came a day after the PAD changed its objective from blocking constitutional amendment to overthrowing the Samak government.
During Saturday, the anti-government protest erupted with throwback cries of “Samak ok pai” (Samak Get Out!), reminiscent of the “Thaksin ok pai” cries of the huge 2006 street protests.
Mr Samak said the demonstrators were breaking the law by blocking roads. He said he wondered if the protest was intended to force the military to intervene to stage a fresh coup.
Mr Samak’s TV address was met with boos and jeers at the rally ground. The PAD promptly issued a statement, saying any an unjustified crackdown would be in violation of constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and association. Leaders urged the protesters to remain calm if an emergency decree was imposed and said that new leaders would be appointed if the current leaders were arrested.
PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul told the demonstrators, “PAD will not abandon any of you. I will not run away from death. I want to tell you that that whatever happens to me, please take revenge for me,” Mr Sondhi told the crowd.
Following Mr Samak’s announcement, hundreds of crowd-control police moved onto the Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge and began to negotiate with PAD leaders to relocate because their rally was blocking traffic. The police also offered to help the protesters relocate their rally to other areas such as the plaza outside the City Hall, Sanan Luang or Lumpini public park.
But senior policemen also claimed the protesters were accumulating weapons such as baseball clubs, slingshots and fighting sticks, and conducting training on how to use them.
After Mr Chalerm’s interview, police spokesman Watcharapol Prasarnrattakij said police would allow the rally to continue.
After it was clear the protest could continue, PAD supporters gave roses to the anti-riot officers.
Earlier in the day, Army Commander Anupong Paojinda has ordered First Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha to put anti-riot units on standby, a military source said.
The troops, said to be armed with batons and shields only, would be brought in if police could not handle the situation, said the source, who added that preparations were made at Mr Samak’s order. The prime minister ordered Gen Anupong on Friday to prepare contingency plans to intervene.
The source said that Gen Anupong did not want the army involved, because it would raise speculation about a possible coup.
“He does not want to get involved. There have been lessons. He hopes that police can handle the situation,” said the source.
Supreme Commander Gen Boonsang Niampradit yesterday said he opposed using troops to break up the protest, but noted that soldiers would obey the government’s orders.
“Troops should not be used to quell a riot, and the situation is unlikely even to turn into a riot. I do not think there will be use of force because it is dangerous.
“A situation ends when troops are mobilised, but in most cases the result is tragic,” he said.
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Earlier Report:
Hundreds of riot police and anti-government protesters faced off across a narrow no-man’s land in the Saturday night rain, as demonstrators defied an order from Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to end their week-long street protest.
About 1,200 riot police assembled at the demonstration site at the Makawan Rangsit Bridge. As darkness fell
A line of helmeted police armed with truncheons and shields stood at a barricade placed across the width of the bridge, site of murderous violence in the 1992 pro-democracy uprising
A line of protesters with homemade plywood shields faced them from behind a barrier formed from chained traffic fences about five metres away
The anti-government protest, complete with throwback cries of “Samak ok pai” (Samak Get Out!) continued just behind the protesters’ skirmish line.
Despite the possible violence, the protest scene was remarkably calm.
Supreme Commander Gen Boonsrang Niumpradit told reporters that Mr Samak has yet to issue an order mobilising soldiers, but that the military would comply if an order is given.
“I am convinced that the prime minister will use only police forces. He will only use the military if the situation is very critical, because in most cases the result is tragic,” he said.
A police official said 1,000 reinforcements from nearby provinces were expected to arrive in Bangkok by midnight.
In a Saturday morning speech (Click here for earlier story) Mr Samak ordered the demonstration to break up by nightfall. He said the protest was interfering with movement by residents and business.
Demonstrators, under the banner of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) defied the order, and said they would continue until his government was toppled.
“I will not yield to your demand,” Mr Samak said in a televised speech early Saturday.
“I have prepared police and military forces. You must find another place to rally that will not affect or violate other people’s rights,” he said, stressing that obstructing traffic was illegal.
“Who do you want to stage a coup this time? If you want to fight, we fight in parliament,” Mr Samak said.
The protest group’s leader, media baron Sondhi Limthongkul, vowed to defy the dispersal order.
“PAD will not abandon any of you. I will not run away from death. I want to tell you that whatever happens to me, please take revenge for me,” Sondhi told the cheering crowd.
“If government decides to use force to disperse the protest, then we have to defend ourselves and we are ready,” PAD spokesman Suriyasai Katasila told reporters.
An aide to the prime minister, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the AFP news agency that the prime minister would consider declaring a state of emergency if the situation spun out of control. “If lenient measures fail to break up the rally, an emergency decree would be a last resort,” AFP quoted the unnamed aide as saying.
