Old police generals hit back at NACC

Association chairman Wisut Kittiwat claimed the NACC ruling stemmed from its members' lack of neutrality, and said it would provide help to Patcharawat and former Metropolitan Police commissioner Suchart Muenkaew, who was also implicated in the ruling, in legal proceedings.

Salang Bunnag claimed Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was behind the NACC ruling and had abused his power to bully both officers. He said Abhisit ordered the transfer of Patcharawat, which caused the police chief to quit, and that this was done for the PM's political benefit.

Salang also asked for guidelines that anti-riot policemen could follow on how to confront red-shirt protesters, who will rally on September 19.

Bunjit Phanthumajinda, a retired police major general and the oldest association member at age 94, claimed he had not seen "interference" in police affairs on a greater scale.

Meanwhile, an NACC commissioner yesterday advised police to use common sense when dealing with protesters.

Vichai Vivitsevi said that the law clearly stated the police's scope of authority and power to deal with such situations. "Police can consider rulings by the Supreme Court and the Penal Code. It is not the duty of the NACC to tell them what to do," he said.

Vichai was responding to a remark by Metropolitan Police deputy chief Maj-General Amnuay Nimmano that the NACC should state what police could and couldn't do when dealing with aggressive protesters who rally at state agencies, that could even include the NACC itself.

"NACC members are not law lecturers and we don't have the courage to teach police generals. To be law enforcers, you can't argue that you don't understand the law," Vichai said.