Security law may be extended: PM

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday the Internal Security Act would remain in effect despite the "red shirts" postponing their anti-government rally until next Saturday.

Abhisit said Cabinet would decide at its meeting on Tuesday whether to extend imposition of the law, invoked last Tuesday to take effect in Bangkok's Dusit district from last Friday and to tomorrow.

The prime minister said protesters were still allowed to hold rally when the security law is imposed and there had been talks about routes where they could rally peacefully.

"It does not matter even if they [the red shirts] keep on postponing their rally. Authorities must always be on alert," he said, adding that it was the government's responsibility to maintain peace and that it was good news for the country if nothing happened.

The number of the troops and police dispatched to guard Government House was reduced after the rally was postponed. Many soldiers were transported out of the compound with the prime minister's office, although a number of police remained around the premises.

After the premier's statement yesterday, First Army Area commander Lt-General Kanit Sapithak said that the number of military personnel deployed around Government House and the Royal Palace compound has been cut back to an "appropriate amount" to maintain order in high-risk areas in Dusit district.

The commander, whose jurisdiction covers the capital, said the current situation was not worrying and there were no signs of third-party interference to incite chaos.

Sources from the red shirts said their leaders, including Veera Musikapong and former People Power Party executives, met on Friday and decided to call off the rally as they believed the government planned to round up all leaders in order to undermine the rally. They also feared that an "ill-intentioned third party" might take advantage of the situation to crack down on the red shirts, one source said.

They felt that if they went ahead with the rally, the red shirts would face negative consequences and public hatred similar to after the Songkran riots in April. That might affect perceptions about the petition submitted to His Majesty the King seeking a Royal pardon for ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

The sources also said Thaksin had phoned Veera many times voicing concern about the red shirts' safety and that they would fall into a "trap set by the government". He was also worried about bad publicity and negative image incurred to his supporters if the red-shirt leaders could not control the mob.

Red-shirt leaders Veera Musikapong, Nattawut Saikua and Jatuporn Promphan called a press conference after their meeting and said they put off their rally because the government had gained an upper hand with its campaign to make the public feel the red shirts were intent on destroying the economy and business climate with their rallies.

So they decided to change their strategy by postponing the rally from till September 5, or September 12 or September 19, depending on whether the government ends or extends the internal security law.

"On September 19, the red shirts will stage a sit-in protest and will not retreat because it marks three years after the September coup,'' Nattawut said.

Thepthai Senpong, spokesman for Abhisit, said yesterday he believed the red shirts had ill-intent in calling the rally this weekend. And that was why they deferred it after the government invoked the Internal Security Act.

However, he believed the main reason they put off the rally was because they were short of financial support as Thaksin phoned to tell them it wasn't the right time to out out the masses for a major rally.