Thai PM cancels visit to Australia ahead of planned anti-gov't rally
Thai PM cancels visit to Australia ahead of planned anti-gov't rally
08:12, March 09, 2010 
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In a bid to ensure that well- prepared-security steps will smoothly be implemented to maintain law and order during a mass anti-government rally, Thailand's Prime Minister Monday decided to cancel a planned March 13-17 trip to Australia.
The cancellation of the trip by Premier Abhisit Vejjajiva was made after a meeting of Thailand's panel for monitoring national security resolved to propose the weekly cabinet Tuesday to impose the Internal Security Act (ISA) during March 11 to 23 to ensure security during the mass rally.
The rally by the United front for Democracy against Dictatorship(UDD) group will start from March 12 when the UDD or red-shirted supporters from the countryside will travel to capital Bangkok.
And, in the morning on March 14 the UDD protesters will stage their mass rally at Sanam Luang, the open field and public square in the center of Bangkok.
It is also reportedly said that a scattered rally is planned at several places in capital Bangkok by the UDD protesters during the mass rally.
Their political demand includes resignation of the coalition government or the House dissolution paving the way for a new general election.
Speaking after chairing the meeting of the panel for monitoring national security, Deputy Prime Minister for Security Affairs Suthep Thaugsuban explained to news media about factors, which were behind the plan to impose the ISA law to ensure security during the rally.
Suthep said "some of the protesters tend to incite violence, which will potentially cause danger to the people in Bangkok."
The ISA imposition will take effect in capital Bangkok and some districts of nearby provinces, including Pathum Thani, Ayutthaya, and Samut Prakan.
It is estimated the protesters' number will reach 100,000 as their vehicles' number could be at least 10,000, which can cause traffic problems in Bangkok, Suthep said.
The small trucks, pick-up trucks, and even agricultural farming trucks are reportedly to be used by the protesters from the countryside to travel to Bangkok.
Meanwhile, Abhisit said he is confident the government will be able to control the rally though the protesters' number could reach 100,000, the National News Bureau of Thailand (NNT) under the state-owned Public Relations Department, reported.
Also, the Thai premier has reiterated that the government will not use force to deal with the UDD supporters.
Abhisit has also calmed the general public that they should not be panic as the government is well prepared to deal with the red- shirted protesters, Thai News Agency reported.
In a related development, Abhisit also called on a meeting with the government's economic team, including the Finance Ministry and Bank of Thailand (BOT) after the planned ISA law's enforcement was announced.
Speaking after the meeting, Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanich disclosed the meeting discussed about preparedness for the financial sector to deal with the rally situation.
Korn said the government has no policy to temporarily shut down
financial institutions or the Stock exchange of Thailand (SET) market during the rally.
Moreover, the country's financial sector does not have any liquidity problem, hence the public do not need to hold cash excessively with them, Korn said.
The central bank BOT said it will let commercial banks to make their own judgment if they have to suspend operations of branches or services of automatic transfer machines (ATMs) in risky areas during the rally.
Hence, if the ATMs service of some areas near their residential places are suspended, people can use those in other areas since the government has no policy to shut down financial firms during the rally, Korn has suggested.
Meanwhile, Winai Srichobtham, executive-vice-president for marketing of MBK Plc, the operator of MBK Shopping Center in capital Bangkok, said the MBK has prepared some measures to ensure security for both employees and clients.
However, Winai said in light of the government's prepared security steps, the rally situation could be under control.
Chakkrit Charoenmetachai, an analyst with Globlex Securities, said that this week the political situation is seen to pressure trading on Thai stocks.
The SET stock index's support level is expected at 707 points, while its resistance level is seen at 738 points, Thai News Agency quoted Chakkrit as saying.
At the close Monday, the SET index ended 3.67 points lower, or 0.51 percent, to 720.29 points, with a market turnover of 19.61 billion baht (599.86 million U.S. dollars).
As the country's economic recovery is continuing, "I would like to urge all sides not to use violence since at the end the most suffered are the Thai people and the country," Korn said.
Source: Xinhua
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2010-03/09/nw.D110000renmrb_20100309_8-03.htm
The cancellation of the trip by Premier Abhisit Vejjajiva was made after a meeting of Thailand's panel for monitoring national security resolved to propose the weekly cabinet Tuesday to impose the Internal Security Act (ISA) during March 11 to 23 to ensure security during the mass rally.
The rally by the United front for Democracy against Dictatorship(UDD) group will start from March 12 when the UDD or red-shirted supporters from the countryside will travel to capital Bangkok.
And, in the morning on March 14 the UDD protesters will stage their mass rally at Sanam Luang, the open field and public square in the center of Bangkok.
It is also reportedly said that a scattered rally is planned at several places in capital Bangkok by the UDD protesters during the mass rally.
Their political demand includes resignation of the coalition government or the House dissolution paving the way for a new general election.
Speaking after chairing the meeting of the panel for monitoring national security, Deputy Prime Minister for Security Affairs Suthep Thaugsuban explained to news media about factors, which were behind the plan to impose the ISA law to ensure security during the rally.
Suthep said "some of the protesters tend to incite violence, which will potentially cause danger to the people in Bangkok."
The ISA imposition will take effect in capital Bangkok and some districts of nearby provinces, including Pathum Thani, Ayutthaya, and Samut Prakan.
It is estimated the protesters' number will reach 100,000 as their vehicles' number could be at least 10,000, which can cause traffic problems in Bangkok, Suthep said.
The small trucks, pick-up trucks, and even agricultural farming trucks are reportedly to be used by the protesters from the countryside to travel to Bangkok.
Meanwhile, Abhisit said he is confident the government will be able to control the rally though the protesters' number could reach 100,000, the National News Bureau of Thailand (NNT) under the state-owned Public Relations Department, reported.
Also, the Thai premier has reiterated that the government will not use force to deal with the UDD supporters.
Abhisit has also calmed the general public that they should not be panic as the government is well prepared to deal with the red- shirted protesters, Thai News Agency reported.
In a related development, Abhisit also called on a meeting with the government's economic team, including the Finance Ministry and Bank of Thailand (BOT) after the planned ISA law's enforcement was announced.
Speaking after the meeting, Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanich disclosed the meeting discussed about preparedness for the financial sector to deal with the rally situation.
Korn said the government has no policy to temporarily shut down
financial institutions or the Stock exchange of Thailand (SET) market during the rally.
Moreover, the country's financial sector does not have any liquidity problem, hence the public do not need to hold cash excessively with them, Korn said.
The central bank BOT said it will let commercial banks to make their own judgment if they have to suspend operations of branches or services of automatic transfer machines (ATMs) in risky areas during the rally.
Hence, if the ATMs service of some areas near their residential places are suspended, people can use those in other areas since the government has no policy to shut down financial firms during the rally, Korn has suggested.
Meanwhile, Winai Srichobtham, executive-vice-president for marketing of MBK Plc, the operator of MBK Shopping Center in capital Bangkok, said the MBK has prepared some measures to ensure security for both employees and clients.
However, Winai said in light of the government's prepared security steps, the rally situation could be under control.
Chakkrit Charoenmetachai, an analyst with Globlex Securities, said that this week the political situation is seen to pressure trading on Thai stocks.
The SET stock index's support level is expected at 707 points, while its resistance level is seen at 738 points, Thai News Agency quoted Chakkrit as saying.
At the close Monday, the SET index ended 3.67 points lower, or 0.51 percent, to 720.29 points, with a market turnover of 19.61 billion baht (599.86 million U.S. dollars).
As the country's economic recovery is continuing, "I would like to urge all sides not to use violence since at the end the most suffered are the Thai people and the country," Korn said.
Source: Xinhua
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2010-03/09/nw.D110000renmrb_20100309_8-03.htm
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