The former chief of the Army's advisory board, General Boonlert Kaewprasith, yesterday said a military coup could be staged if the red-shirt Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship continued to attack Privy Council President General Prem Tinsulanonda.
In a radio interview, Boonlert said attacks on Prem could be construed as an attack on the institution of monarchy and soldiers may eventually stage a coup to defend the institution.
"Those who are [Prem's] enemies may |not be aiming only at him but at those higher up," he said. The retired general urged the government to "arrest and detain" those attacking the Palace.
Boonlert added, however, that he did not think this Friday's verdict in the assets case involving former premier Thaksin Shinanwatra would lead to extreme violence. He estimated hardcore red-shirt numbers at no more than 100.
Thepthai Saenphong, spokesman for the Democrat Party leader, insisted the red shirts were mobilising in tandem with the monarchy-abolition movement.
He condemned the red-shirt rally on Friday at Silom Road for "ruining the image of Thailand". He urged people to come out and tell the red shirts to stop mobilising.
He said those in the tourism industry should especially do so, as they would be the first to be affected by mass protests.
He claimed that Thaksin was paying Bt2,000 for each pickup truck to transport protesters from upcountry to Bangkok. He also claimed that each protester would be paid Bt500 per day and that Thaksin was spending Bt200 million a day to keep protesters on the streets.
Thepthai said the protests could be expected to last for seven days. He also criticised Thaksin for enticing grass-roots people by promising to eliminate their debts within six months if the former premier managed to return to power.
Meanwhile, Chumpol Kanchana, chairman of the Democrat Party group of MPs, said yesterday that he believed the protests would not get out of hand. Bangkokians are fed up with the red shirts and will soon come out to make their voices heard. He did not elaborate as to where and when, however.
As the so-called judgement day draws near, the Democrat Party headquarters is beefing up its security. Four more CCTV cameras have been added to the existing four and 100 police officers will be deployed on Friday. The party may request some military personnel to be dispatched there too, a source within the party said.
The yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy co-leader Piphob Thongchai yesterday said the PAD would accept the ruling as long as it "can be explained to society and the world with regard to fairness".
He said the PAD would not hold a protest and warned the government to be wary of a third party seeking to exploit the situation. He did not elaborate who the third party could be.
In Nakhon Ratchasima province, checkpoints along the roads have been set up to prevent the red shirts from joining the protests in Bangkok. Police patrols are also being launched every 30 minutes. Pickups and six-wheeler trucks are expected to be the main transportation mode carrying protesters to Bangkok.
In Chiang Rai province, a crowd-dispersal drill was held yesterday. Security forces are also practising how they can contain and arrest those joining the protests if things get out of hand.
