Military chiefs oppose using Security Act
Police can handle crowd at anti-govt rally, Yingluck assured; Pitak Siam hopes for thousands to attend Nov 24 demo
The Army chief and the armed forces supreme commander have opposed a suggestion by police and the National Security Council (NSC) that the government invoke the Internal Security Act (ISA) to deal with a mass rally planned for this month.Supreme Commander General Thanasak Patimakorn and Army commander-in-chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha raised their objections at a meeting of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, top military commanders and the national police chief at Government House, according to a well-informed source.
Also attending the meeting were Navy commander-in-chief Admiral Surasak Roonrerngrom, Air Force commander-in-chief Air Chief Marshal Prajin Juntong and Police Commissioner-General Pol General Adul Saengsingkaew.
The meeting was held to give the police chief and military leaders an opportunity to analyse the situation relating to a rally planned for next weekend by the Pitak Siam group, which is led by retired General Boonlert Kaewprasit.
The security-affairs source said Yingluck also consulted the military leaders on steps for enforcing the ISA to deal with the protesters.
Invoking the ISA would allow the government to deploy troops as law enforcers to assist police in dealing with the situation. If the ISA were not invoked, police would have to deal with the protesters on their own.
The national police chief earlier announced he had prepared 50,000 officers to maintain law and order during the demonstration at the Royal Plaza on November 24.
Thanasak and Prayuth told Yingluck they wanted the government to use the normal laws to deal with the demonstration, because the military had monitored and analysed the situation and did not expect any untoward incident during the rally, the source said.
The two top commanders also told the prime minister they did not think that a third-party group would make a move to create a problem, so it would be unjustified for the government to enforce the ISA.
They told her that troops would not get involved in controlling the demonstrators.
However, Yingluck was informed that the NSC, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Special Branch Police had conducted intelligence operations and found that the situation would be serious enough to warrant invoking the ISA.
The source said the meeting yesterday was inconclusive, so the prime minister would meet with representatives of the NSC, NIA and other security agencies to discuss the situation on Monday before making a decision.
According to the source, the security agencies recommended invoking the ISA on three main grounds.
First, they were not certain that Boonlert would be able to control the demonstrators, who would come from several groups.
Second, they feared that a third party might create a situation by using M79 grenade launchers to fire on the crowd.
Third, police were worried that they would be held responsible and be come the subject of legal action if the ISA was not enforced to exempt the law enforcers from responsibility in case of violence.
In a related development, Sunthorn Rakrong, a coordinator of the Group of People from 16 Southern Provinces, said his group, which supports the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy, would join the Boonlert-led demonstration.
Meanwhile, Pitak Siam spokesman Watchara Ritthakhanee sent representatives to submit a letter to the prime minister. The letter insisted that the rally on November 24 would be peaceful, in line with provisions of Article 63 of the Constitution.
Watchara said the organisers of the rally would be careful about possible interference by a third party.
In another development, former senator Ruangkrai Leekitwattana filed a complaint with Crime Suppression Division police yesterday accusing Boonlert of sedition for leading a previous anti-government rally on October 28.
He said Boonlert's attacks against the government and his call for its removal were tantamount to attempting to overthrow democratic rule.
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