Govt to use all means to prevent violence : Suthep

Speaking after a meeting with military commanders and representatives of security agencies, Suthep said the authorities were taking pre-emptive measures to prevent members of the public from suffering should any untoward incidents occur.

“The government will closely monitor the situation and will mobilise all resources to prevent any undesirable incidents. Our goal is to ensure the public’s everyday life can continue without interruption. We won’t allow anyone to cause disruption,” he said.

The authorities will safeguard transport systems and public utilities, as well as the offices of state agencies, so that the public can be assured of uninterrupted services, he added.

The deputy premier said the government would not allow a repeat of the rioting in Bangkok last April, adding that the law would be applied in line with the degree of severity of any violent incident.

He was speaking to reporters at Government House after returning from the Army’s headquarters, where he chaired a meeting with security agencies that lasted about two hours.

Thaksin’s supporters have stepped up their moves ahead of the court ruling scheduled for February 26 in the Bt76-billion assets-seizure case against him.

In response to reports that the red shirts are planning a “people’s army”, Suthep said he regarded the move as a threat to national security.

General Panlop Pinmanee, a member of the opposition Pheu Thai Party and the person who broke the news about the red shirts’ “army”, said he expected the anti-government protest to attract at least 1 million people after February 14.

Panlop, who recently met the ex-PM in Dubai, said Thaksin did not want to see any clashes.

He also said he had used a wrong term in describing the role of General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, who is Pheu Thai’s chief adviser. Panlop said Chavalit was not the “supreme commander” of the people’s army, but was in fact the “leader of the people”.

Meanwhile, another red-shirt leader, Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Promphan, said his movement would not resort to violence and insisted its members would fight through peaceful means.