Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva issued an ultimatum to the red shirts to leave the Rajprasong protest site by today after their failure to honour their commitment to end the protest despite Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban reporting to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) yesterday as demanded by them.
"If they have sincerely accepted the road map for national reconciliation as announced earlier, the protesters should go home by May 12 and we can discuss other matters in detail later," Abhisit told reporters.
A government source said the Centre for Resolution of the Emergency Situation would cut power and water supply in the Rajprasong area to force the protesters to leave.
Prime Minister Abhisit discussed the plan at the Cabinet meeting yesterday, asking ministers what to do if the protesters resisted the ultimatum. Most Cabinet members suggested that the deal on the road map should be off if the protesters did not accept it, and the government would not be bound to call an early election on November 14 as planned, the source said.
"I consider the end of the protest as a pre-requisite if they want to show their acceptance of the road map. If the protest continues, it means they say no to the road map," Abhisit said.
The five-point road map for national reconciliation is not a negotiable scheme and the protesters will have to accept it, he said.
Red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan said the protesters would not comply with the government's ultimatum and would stay on until Suthep really 'surrendered' to the police.
"We are not afraid of such pressure. After the death of many protesters, nothing can stop the red people," he said. "How can we stop as the murderers are walking freely."
The red shirts had announced on Monday that they would disperse from the business centre, which they have occupied for more than a month, as soon as Suthep turned himself over to the authorities. The red shirts have said he must take responsibility for the death of civilians during a clash between protesters and security officials on April 10.
Red-shirt leader Natthawut Saikua said Suthep's turning up at the DSI yesterday was unacceptable since the department has not yet begun the legal process against him.
The DSI has not yet made a file for Suthep's case, he said. The department so far has only five categories under its jurisdiction: terrorism, posing a threat to the state, hurting government officials, stealing official weapons, and lese majeste, Natthawut said, quoting records in the Royal Gazette.
Suthep's case would begin only if the committee for special cases agreed to take up his case into its jurisdiction, he said. His presence at the DSI yesterday did not meet the red shirts' condition to end the protest, Natthawut said.
The deputy prime minister did not meet DSI chief Tharit Pengdit as a suspect but as a boss who went there to inspect the office, said another leader Jatuporn.
"We cannot accept such play between Suthep and the DSI as fulfilling the condition to end the protest," he said.
What the protesters want Suthep to do is to surrender to the police as a suspect. He must be interrogated, give his fingerprint and obtain bail, Jatuporn said.
"If Suthep goes through the process, the red shirts will stop protesting and follow in his footsteps," Jatuporn said.
Abhisit said the red leaders have no right to set the condition for Suthep to surrender. Suthep did not need to see the DSI since the department has not yet issued any warrants for him. The PM said Suthep met the DSI chief yesterday just to show the government was willing to go through the justice system.
The government would set up independent bodies to look after all concerned matters, including the bloody incidents during the clashes in April, he said. Persons responsible for each of the incidents would be known only after completion of the investigation, he said.