Thailand-Govt to impose ISA today

Suthep put in charge of security, though violent clashes not expected

The Cabinet will invoke the Internal Security Act (ISA) today to prepare for demonstrations the red shirts are planning to hold on Saturday to mark the third anniversary of the 2006 coup, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday.He said it was up to Cabinet to decide what time and area the law would be enforced.Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who is in charge of security affairs, will once again be overseeing the enforcement of the ISA, the premier said.Late last month, the red shirts cancelled a rally after the government invoked the ISA, which gives authorities the power to deploy troops, ban gatherings and impose a curfew. However, red-shirt leaders have said the Saturday rally would be held despite the imposition of the ISA.Abhisit said yesterday he believed the authorities would be able to keep the situation under control, and in response to rumours of a coup, he said he had not heard any convincing arguments for such a change at this time. "I am confident that most people in the country want peace to be maintained. Those who have different political views can express themselves by lawful means. If they exceed legal limits, law enforcers will have to step in," the PM said.Abhisit also said he would be kept updated about the situation while he is in the US attending the annual United Nations Assembly and the Group of 20 conference between September 20 and 26. Meanwhile, caretaker national police chief General Thanee Somboonsap yesterday called a meeting with senior police commanders to discuss preparations for the rally. Among the participants were Metropolitan Police commissioner Lt-General Wora- pong Chiewpreecha, his deputies and commanders of all Bangkok police divisions.After the meeting, Thanee told reporters he believed there would be no violent clashes during the protest. "There have been no indicators pointing in that direction," he said.The caretaker police chief said the Metropolitan Police commissioner would be solely in charge of dealing with the situation and that all police officers involved in the operation would have to follow his orders. Thanee explained that the goal was to avoid the mistakes made during the October 7 crackdown, which ended up with several senior police officers being indicted by the National Anti-Corruption Commission for malfeasance.In a related development, the National Human Rights Commission's sub-committee on civil and political rights yesterday suggested that the government only impose the ISA when necessary.NHRC member Dr Nirun Pitakwatchara told a press conference that the panel had reached this decision after considering a petition filed by Somyos Phruksakasemsuk, a representative of the Group of June 24.Nirun said government officials testifying with the subcommittee had failed to provide a satisfactory explanation as to why the ISA was imposed ahead of the red-shirt rally scheduled for August 30."The government should impose the law when the necessity arises. Imposing it beforehand is unnecessary, though it is not an offence if the government imposes the law without enforcing it," he said.Meanwhile, politicians associated with the red shirts said yesterday that they did not expect any violent clashes during the Saturday rally.Former Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, who has regularly been joining anti-government protests, called on the prime minister to dissolve the House and call a snap election, which he said would allow Abhisit to make a "graceful comeback" should his Democrat Party win the elections. Somchai noted that when his government was faced with the yellow-shirt rally last year, Abhisit had made similar demands.Chaturon Chaisang, a banned executive of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party, said he was not concerned about the rally but urged the government to prevent possible interference by "a third party" that could lead to violence.

The Nation