Phuket to come under ISA

Thailand will put the resort-island of Phuket under the Internal Security Act (ISA) when it hosts an important Asean meeting later this month.

The Cabinet yesterday approved the strict measure from July 10-24 for an area covering the whole of Phuket and up to five kilometres offshore.

The reason was to give the government maximum powers to deal with any unrest.

With this law, the government does not need to declare a state of emergency to enforce tougher rules and regulations. Under the Internal Security Act, an Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) panel would be set up and chaired by the prime minister.

Even though it will take away some of the people's basic rights for the duration, the latest move for the high-profile Asean foreign ministers meeting is aimed at boosting international confidence in Thailand.

Besides foreign ministers from Asean's 10 member countries, those from dialogue partners, including the US, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as well as China and Japan will attend.

Army chief General Anupong Paochinda said all the Armed Forces branches had jointly proposed to the Cabinet the use of the Internal Security Act during the event.

The law, initiated by the military-backed government last year, lets the premier mobilise forces from any agency for security reasons. Article 18 of the law authorises the premier in his capacity as the director of Isoc to impose curfews, prohibit the movement of people and vehicles and block commuting routes.

The premier can also take action to manage the security situation in a pre-emergency state as it could be used without the declaration of a state of emergency.

Thailand, as the chair of Asean, has the duty to host the ministerial meeting but the government feared the red-shirted protesters might disrupt proceedings as they did with the East Asia Summit in Pattaya in April.

Isoc argued that the act would be indispensable following the Pattaya chaos, which it said ruined the country's image and reputation as well as its economy.

The authority also said in the proposal that its intelligence report showed that some ill-intentioned groups, from both inside and outside the country, might again try to foment trouble, similar to what happened in Pattaya.

The Council of State, the government's legal adviser, willflesh out the security plan in accordance with the law and propose it to the Cabinet again next Tuesday, an official said.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva defended the decision to call up Isoc, saying security law enforcement would restore confidence in the international community. "If we can manage to have a smooth meeting, it would help clear up the bad impression of the April incident among foreigners," he told reporters.

Suthep Thaugsuban, the deputy premier in charge of security affairs, said the security blanket over Phuket during the Asean Summit would not cause hardships for tourists and ordinary people there.

Prompong Noparit, spokesman for the opposition Pheu Thai Party, said employing such a law was an overreaction to the situation since the law is tough and would impinge on the fundamental rights of citizens.

It is not easy for the protesters to gather people to rally in Phuket since the island has only one access route, he said.