The government will be lenient and not prosecute people who violated the emergency decree, but the authorities would check pertinent legal measures for those involved in terrorism.
The government may issue an amnesty, in order to avoid legal wrangling, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday.
"Those protesters who rallied in peace and were not armed will not be prosecuted - just like what happened at the rally in April last year," he said, extending an olive branch to the red shirts.
Abhisit said the leniency would not cover core leaders, agitators and those charged for terrorism or linked to criminal cases under the jurisdiction of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).
Under the state of emergency imposed since April 7, tens of thousands involved in the rally would automatically become suspects for offences against the emergency rule.
Three law enforcement and security agencies - the DSI, National Security Council and the Council of State - will meet today to debate options and decide whether to draft an amnesty bill for people who broke the emergency decree.
DSI director-general Tharit Pengdit said an amnesty might be needed to clear the records of red shirts who returned to their villages and had no involvement in recent unrest.
Should it be deemed necessary to grant an amnesty, the government could choose either to issue an executive decree or sponsor legislation, both of which would be subject to parliamentary scrutiny, he said.
Commenting on the killing of a red-shirt guard in Nakhon Ratchasima, he said the case was classified as a homicide under the jurisdiction of the provincial police.
He said he doubted whether the case would warrant an upgrade for the DSI to be involved since there was no evidence to suggest the killing was linked to the red-shirt rally.
Red-shirt leaders, including Jatuporn Promphan, have voiced suspicion that the government may be behind what they call "reprisal killings" against the reds. But they had provided no evidence to substantiate their remarks.