Samak vows to use force to end protest

Samak made the announcement on NBT Channel in a special live broadcast at 8:50 am.

"I'll take action to remove them from the area. They have been accumulating criminals there. You, all, [PAD leaders] will have to take responsibility for what you have done. I will not tolerate it and police and soldiers will not tolerate it either," Samak said on TV. 

Samak urged the public not to support the rally.

"Those who join the rally must pull out and I don't know who the five PAD leaders are," Samak said.

"I must speak today instead of speaking during my programme tomorrow because I'll go for a break with them today.

"I will not allow you to this because the country belongs to me and all people."

Samak made the urgent announcement after the PAD announced late Friday night that it had upgraded its goal from opposing charter amendments to campaigning to oust the Samak government.

The PAD said it had to campaign for Samak government's ouster because it regarded the government as being a puppet of the Thaksin regime.

Police apparently briefed up its forces at the bridge while the PAD leaders announced to the demonstrators to get prepared for resisting a possible crackdown.

A PAD leader advised protesters to arm themselves with bags of human excrement and urine to fight off police.

Following Samak's announcement, police briefly scuttled with protesters when they tried to prevent a group of people from joining the rally. They gave in after some 200 protesters came to confront them at the police line.

Samak said the demonstrations at bridge had caused severe damages to the country.

He blamed the PAD for trying to undermine the attempts of his elected government to solve the country's problems.

He said his elected government came to office by contesting the election under the democratic rules and it assumed the office during the time of the economic crisis.

He said he had done a lot as the prime minister and visited several countries but the government critics still accused his government of not doing anything.

Samak said the measures to solve the country's problems were going well until the PAD came out to protest against the plan to amend the Constitution.

"But where were these people when the constitution was abolished?" Samak asked emotionally.

"Now, they seized roads and marched to surround Government House and embarrassed the country in the eyes of the International Community. They play it hard and try to find fault with me to pressure me to leave office. When they could not find issues to attack me, they cited the old issues during the time of the Thaksin government."

He said the protesters were illegally blocking the roads and he thought the protesters were trying to incite the military to stage another coup.

"But the prime minister who is called Samak is also the defence minister. I work with the military commanders and I have good understanding with them … All people know me so who will stage a coup against me?" Samak said.

Samak said the protesters were building up forces like an army.

He said the protesters used rude and abuses to attack the government so he would no longer tolerate the PAD-led protesters.

"As the prime minister, I cannot sit idly by. I am not that good to stand being attacked that severely. They linked me to [former] prime minister Thaksin [Shinawatra] and said I am Thaksin's puppet and is about to turn the country into a republic. … What evidences they have to say that I am changing the country to a republic?" Samak said.

He said he had learnt that the protesters armed themselves with baseball clubs. "I don't know whom they will fight with."

"The country needs peace but you, the five PAD leaders, caused disturbances and damages. You have created deep wounds to the country during the past seven days.

He said the five PAD leaders have caused a lot of problems to the country.

"You can demonstrate but don't cause hardship to the people and do not challenge the government," Samak said.

While Samak was speaking on air, the demonstration site at the Makkahwan Bridge erupted in boos and jeers.

The protesters booed now and them while they were listening to Samak through loudspeakers.

After Samak finished his special programme, the PAD leaders vowed to stay put. They vowed to regroup and stage another rally if the demonstration was broken up.

Chamlong Srimuang, a PAD leader, also urged the protesters to carry digital cameras and take photos of police if they use force to try to end the rally.

Chamlong also urged protesters to ask questions with police what they were doing.

Chamlong said pictures and replies from police could be used as evidences for taking legal action against them later.