Bangkok Post 11/01/2010

Police are threatening to arrest members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship if they damage a forest reserve on Khao Yai Thiang in Nakhon Ratchasima during their planned rally today.

United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship protesters make their point with a banner reading ‘‘Village of Double Standards’’. They erected the banner to attack Privy Councillor Surayud Chulanont over his Khao Yai Thiang property. The protesters gathered at the area yesterday and threatened to illegally occupy forest reserve land. JETJARAS NA RANONG

If the UDD protesters cut down trees or attempt to occupy any part of the reserve, police would arrest them and charge them with trespassing, the head of the Provincial Police Bureau 3, Dechawat Ramsomphop, said yesterday.

The UDD has threatened to cut down trees on the mountain and occupy land as part of the rally to illustrate the damage caused by Privy Councillor Surayud Chulanont at his 22-rai mountain-top property. They are protesting against what they claim are the government's judicial double standards.

While some villagers who have occupied reserve land on the mountain have been sued for encroachment, Gen Surayud, a former prime minister, has been asked to return his land without fear of prosecution.

Pol Lt Gen Dechawat said the security forces in place at Khao Yai Thiang - made up of police, military and Forestry Department officers - would not be armed and would not use force against the protesters. They would use shields only if confronted by violence.

Back-up forces in nearby provinces such as Buri Ram, Surin and Si Sa Ket were on standby in case reinforcements were needed.

The UDD and its allies in the parliamentary opposition yesterday predicted there would be trouble at the protest site.

A UDD spokesman said the group had heard that the Bhumjaithai Party, part of the government coalition, would send its supporters to disrupt the UDD rally.

Puea Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said about 5,000 so-called blue shirts would be sent to the rally to pretend to be red shirts and stir up violence to justify a police crackdown.

Pol Lt Gen Dechawat said he doubted the blue shirt rumours held substance.

He also denied claims by Maj Gen Khattiya Sawasdiphol, a pro-UDD military figure, that police would cordon off the UDD rally site on Khao Yai Thiang and use force against them. Mr Prompong called on Gen Surayud to resign as a member of the Privy Council, saying it did not make sense for the former prime minister to claim he was unaware that buying land in the reserve was against the law.

The Nakhon Ratchasima prosecutor has ruled that 150 unlawfully owned properties on Khao Yai Thiang, including that held by Gen Surayud, should be returned to the state.

However, the prosecutors decided not to pursue a complaint against Gen Surayud for holding the land illegally.