Thailand’s beleaguered government insisted it had no plan for an immediate crackdown on protesters despite handing over security operations to the army chief, saying yesterday too many people are camped in central Bangkok to use force.
A failed attempt by security forces last weekend to flush thousands of anti-government protesters from the historic district of the capital erupted into the worst political violence the country has seen in two decades. At least 24 people were killed and 800 wounded.
Since then, the protesters have consolidated in Bangkok’s main business and hotel neighborhood and calls have mounted for a harder government stance against the demonstrators whose presence is scaring away tourists and rattling the stock market.
Despite a morning downpour yesterday, thousands of protesters maintained their base in the Rajprasong shopping area and vowed to stay until they bring down Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s government. They held a Buddhist ceremony to pay respects to those killed in last weekend’s clashes, with pictures of the dead displayed on a protest stage as monks chanted blessings.
Abhisit abruptly put his army chief, General Anupong Paochinda, in charge of security operations late on Friday after a botched police attempt to arrest leaders of the protesters, who are known as the Red Shirts. One protest leader escaped from a hotel balcony by rope, while at least two others took the stairs, to escape a police raid that the deputy prime minister had announced on television just minutes earlier.
While the army chief’s new powers prompted speculation that the government was planning a crackdown, government spokesman Panitan Wattanyagorn appeared to rule out force against the crowd.
“Some newspapers have reported that now the government plans to use force again. This is not true,” Panitan said, adding the government’s primary goal is to identify “terrorists” that have orchestrated violence.
One protest leader, Nattawut Saikua, told supporters yesterday that protest leaders would surrender to police on May 15, after they bring down the government.
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