Thai Govt readjusts response to protests; time for talk finished

0
864

BANGKOK, Dec 6 – Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will not hold future dialogues with protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, who will be arrested as soon as possible, according to the chairman of the Centre for Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO).

Surapong Tovichakchaikul, concurrently CAPO leader and deputy prime minister/foreign minister, repeated his call for protesters to call off their demonstrations and stop creating unrest in the country.

Mr Suthep is on the authorities’ wanted list and he will be immediately arrested if the situation allows, he said.

Mr Surapong said the prime minster has set up four committees on strategy, law, people’s rehabilitation and information to jointly find measures to deal with the demonstrations.

He said that CAPO members agreed that legal action should be taken against members of the anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee, led by Mr Suthep, as soon as possible.

Legal action will be taken against those supporting protesters including the operator of the anti-government BlueSky Channel, Mr Surapong warned, as well as the agency which has dispatched mobile toilets and water trucks to the rally sites.

Mr Surapong was referring to the Democrat Party Bangkok Metropolitan Administration which has sent mobile toilets and water trucks to facilitate protesters.

He said CAPO members have instructed the authorities to avoid using force in dealing with protesters while those planning to join the protest today will be asked to rethink.