Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej declared a state of emergency yesterday in Bangkok, but Army chief Anupong Paochinda was quick to say he would not use force to evict protesters occupying the prime minister’s official compound.
“If we thought we could use police and soldiers to get them out with a peaceful conclusion, we would do it. But we think that that would create more problems,” Anupong told a news conference after a man died in clashes between pro and anti-government protesters.
He said troops would carry only shields and batons if ordered into the streets, adding: “They will not be armed, they will not wear bulletproof vests.”
Samak gave no timeframe for how long the decree would stay in effect but said it would be over “moderately quickly.”
“I did it to solve the problems of the country,” Samak said in a televised news conference at a military headquarters in Bangkok. “I had no other choice. The softest means available was an emergency decree to end the situation using the law.”
At Government House, leaders of the protest movement that vowed to stay behind their barricades of razor wire and car tires.
“There are not enough jails to put us all into,” Chamlong Srimuang, one of the leaders of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), told thousands of cheering supporters inside the compound.
He called for more people to join the protest against Samak. His message was carried on PAD radio and satellite TV, which remained on air despite the state of emergency.
Some schools and shops were shut in Bangkok but traffic flowed, with no major security presence or tanks in the streets.
At least one man was killed and 45 hurt in overnight clashes between the PAD and pro-government supporters. About 400 soldiers were sent to back up police struggling to contain the skirmishes. Several shots were fired, but it was not clear by whom.
Meanwhile, protesters closed down Hat Yai International Airport again yesterday in a show of solidarity for fellow demonstrators in Bangkok.
Samak faced a new threat yesterday when the Election Commission recommended his ruling People Power Party (PPP) be disbanded for vote buying in December’s election. The commission forwarded its findings to the Attorney General’s Office to decide whether to submit the case to the Constitutional Court for a final ruling — a process that could take months.
MOFA WARNING
In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday warned travelers to take extra precautions when traveling to Bangkok.
Ministry Spokesman Henry Chen (陳銘政) said the representative in Bangkok had formed a special task force to handle emergencies. He urged travelers to call the office if they need help (6-681-6664006 or 6-681-6664008).
The Travel Agent Association said about 50 people scheduled to leave Bangkok yesterday canceled their trip. Association secretary-general Roget Hsu (許高慶), however, said the situation was not serious.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JENNY W. HSU AND SHELLEY SHAN
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