Security law to prevent scattered rioting in mid-April from reoccurring: Thai deputy PM

The Internal Security Act (ISA), which will be imposed in capital Bangkok from Nov. 28 to Dec. 14, is to prevent scattered rioting in mid-April from reoccurring, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Wednesday.

The weekly cabinet meeting Tuesday agreed to enforce the ISA law from Nov. 28 to Dec. 14 for the whole area of Bangkok to ensure law and order during a series of mass anti-government rallies.

The United Front for Democracy against Democracy (UDD) or the red-shirted people plan to stage the mass anti-government rallies from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2.

As the UDD group announces they will spread their anti-government rallies in Bangkok, hence the government has to impose the ISA law to maintain security, Thai News Agency quoted Suthep as saying.

In a related development, Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan echoed Suthep's statement saying the government's decision to impose the ISA law was made after careful assessment of the situation.

Meanwhile, the UDD group Wednesday is reviewing if the group should postpone the mass rallies' schedule after ousted former Thai Premier Thaksin Shinawatra Tuesday urged the UDD core leaders to defer it since it is not at an appropriate time.

General Prawit said if the red-shirted group postpones the rally schedule, the Thai government can also cancel the plan to implement the ISA law.

The rally's purpose is to bring down the coalition government, while the UDD group expects at least 1 million UDD supporters to join the rallies.

If not deferred, the UDD gathering will start from about 12:00 a.m. local time, on Nov. 28, at the Democracy Monument on Rat-cha-dam-nern road inside Dusit district in the center of capital Bangkok.

Source: Xinhua