via CAAI News Media
Sun, Feb 14, 2010
The Nation/Asia News Network
The new Chaeng Wattana government complex has been partially locked down ahead of the anti-government rally there tomorrow, in the run-up to the February 26 assets-foreclosure verdict.
Potential targets like the Election Commission, Constitution Court and Administrative Court are blocking any outside people, including reporters, from gaining access to the buildings without permission.
Military, police and officials from the government offices located there met several times last week to chart contingency plans.
A commando has been assigned to Constitution Court chairman Chat Chonlaworn since last Monday, while 10 military guards have been deployed to provide extra security.
The EC now allows only its staff to enter its offices and special police forces are providing protection to ranking officials. Closed-circuit television cameras have been installed at the EC headquarters.
The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders will hand down its landmark verdict on February 26 on whether former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's family's Bt76 billion in frozen assets were amassed illegally while he was prime minister.
Thepthai Senpong, spokesman for the Democrat Party leader, said that although it seems the red shirts are spearheading more demonstrations at several spots starting tomorrow, their membership has dropped because their leaders said they would resort to violence.
Pheu Thai Party member Pallop Pinmanee and Army Specialist Maj-General Khattiya Sawasdipol had earlier met Thaksin in Dubai and said they had been given the nod to set up the People's Army to fight against the Thai government.
Thepthai said Arisman Pongruangrong, another red-shirt leader, has also issued a threat against judges sitting on the case and had intimidated the 36 members of the Cabinet.
"This is unacceptable to the people because they know that the red-shirt movement is all about the Bt76 billion assets of Thaksin," he said.
Besides, support for the red shirts has plunged because Thaksin has agreed to act as an economic adviser to Cambodia, which hurt Thai feelings, he said.
Thaksin's Twitter proposal to go to the negotiating table if the government exempts him from any prosecution was unacceptable, he said.
It was not yet certain that the red shirts would choose February 26, the day scheduled for the Supreme Court ruling, as their D Day to stage a mass rally, he said.
Their leaders also want to organise a big protest during the no-confidence debate, as they want to pressure the government both inside and outside Parliament into dissolving the House, he said.
The government was confident that it could control the situation no matter what plan the red shirts had in store, he added.
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