Authorities have discovered that unusually large sums of money were transferred from overseas and local sources to the bank accounts of red-shirt leaders, government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said yesterday.
"We have to find out if the money has been transferred to violence-prone people. If that is the case, we can be sure the situation is going to be violent," he told reporters at Government House.
When asked if the money came from the Middle East and somewhere in Asia, the spokesman said that the reporter was right about the sources. "Part of the money was transferred from financiers in the country and some were smuggled through normal channels," he said, adding that security agencies were investigating the money transfers.
"The money is likely to help the violence-prone group to be cash-rich. But the government will try to control the red shirts like when you bake 'khanom thuai foo' (Thai cupcake). When the cakes start to swell, you cover them and prevent them from expanding too much," he said.
Panitan, who is also deputy secretary-general of the prime minister, said the authorities had expected violent moves by red-shirt supporters of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra before and after the court verdict on February 26 over the assets-seizure case against him.
Thaksin has lived in exile in Dubai, a port city in the United Arab Emirates, and sometimes visits Cambodia.
On Monday, Panitan said the government had resolved to deploy about 20,000 security personnel in 38 provinces, more than 5,000 of them in Bangkok.
He said yesterday that the government was prepared to cope with the situation based on three violent scenarios:
n a joint force of police, soldiers and civilians would deal with small protests;
n when the situation worsens, the Internal Security Act will be imposed;
n if the situation gets even more serious, an emergency decree will be declared and soldiers will take over to bring the situation under control.
Panitan said the Cabinet had approved an initial budget of Bt50 million to fund the security operation ahead of the court ruling. He said the money was aimed at ensuring that the security personnel dispatched for the operation would get sufficient allowances.
"We won't allow a repeat of what happened in April 2009. The soldiers did not get allowances. They were so hungry while doing the job," he said.
Meanwhile, leaders of the red shirts insisted yesterday that they would not resort to violence in their campaign against double standards.
Veera Musigapong, a leader of the Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship, said the government has adopted a dictatorial view dating back to the 1970s in casting suspicion on the people's movement.
Red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan, who is also an MP from the opposition Pheu Thai Party, said the red shirts would adhere to peaceful means in their fight. "We don't want to take the same path as the April incident. The government passed the blame on us for the disturbance. So we have to declare our stance of never resorting to violence," he said.
In a related development, Pheu Thai Party chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh yesterday announced his successful mediation to end the war of words between red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan and retired General Panlop Pinmanee.
The mediation took place on Monday night and the two agreed to set aside their differences, he said.
"There is no more conflict situation and every problem has been solved," he said yesterday.
He said there would be no more trading of barbs and all red shirts would work together.
In his Twitter message, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra said the red shirts need no longer be concerned about infighting among the leadership as the individuals involved had already buried their differences to work together for a "big task".
Meanwhile, red-shirt leader Weng Tojirakarn said the government's security alert is an overreaction. He said plans to boost security forces in 38 provinces, including the setting up of 200 checkpoints in the capital, will cause unjustified anxiety.
"The government is making a big fuss and it is not even clear when the red shirts will hold a mass protest," he said.
The red shirts are not organising armed units in 38 provinces as alleged by the authorities and their rally plan has not been finalised, he said.
The red shirts have yet to set the date for the rally, which may or may not coincide with the February 26 verdict on Thaksin's Bt76-billion assets seizure case, he said.
He voiced suspicion about the government squandering public funds for boosting security. Each time the Internal Security Act was invoked, the cost to taxpayers was estimated at Bt300 million, he said, hinting that certain figures stand to benefit from the security spending.
