Red-shirt protesters are free to rally in front of army headquarters on Friday, but they must abide by the law, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said on Thursday.
Members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) say they will gather tomorrow to demand the army to publicly clarify the rumours of a pending coup.
Mr Suthep said security forces had made preparations to handle the coming anti-government rallies. Police would be in charge of maintaining peace and order, but soldiers would be deployed if the situation gets out of control.
The protests would be allowed, provided they remained within the law.
Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said the anti-government movement's plans to protest at the army headquarters, and later at air force headquarters, and demand clarification of coup rumours was unnecessary. The army had already made it clear there would be no coup at this time and people should not be disturbed by the rumours.
Gen Prawit said people spreading the coup rumours were not helping the country's image.
The defence minister said Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had not given the army any special special orders for the period he would be visiting Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum from Jan 29 to 31.
Police at Mae Fag station in Chiang Mai’s Sansai district said they had set up an operations centre at Royal Chiang Mai Golf Club to maintain peace and order during the planned demonstration at the club by the red-shirts on Friday.
The UDD and the red-shirt people group in Chiang Mai, Rak Chiang Mai 51, plan to rally against the government’s "double standards" at the golf course.
Police had coordinated with management of the golf club and the western ground of the golf course would be open to the red-shirts for the rally. he said.
The Royal Chiang Mai Golf Club was still open for golfers today, but whether it would continue providing services tomorrow would depend on the situation, the club’s management said.
The golf course owner, Warin Poonsiriwong, said he has the proper land occupation documents showing his ownership is lawful and he has not encroached on a forest reserve, as claimed by the red-shirts.
Mr Warin, the proprietor of Naew Na daily newspaper, said Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda had nothing to do with his golf course.
“Gen Prem just presided over the opening ceremony for my golf course,” he said.
UDD leader and opposition Puea Thai Party MP Jatuporn Promphan has accused Mr Warin of encroaching on Sansai forest reserve in Sansai district to build the golf course and of being protected by the influence of Gen Prem.
He accused the Abhisit government of failing to take legal action against Mr Warin.
The UDD has also accused Privy councillor Pichitr Kullavanijaya of encroaching on public land in Bangkok's Bung Kum district.
The accusation was made by red-shirt core member Sudchai Boonchai from Kalasin province.
Mr Sudchai submitted a petition to Puea Thai MP for Samut Prakan Pracha Prasopdee, chairman of the House committee on legal affairs, justice and human rights, proposing an investigation into the alleged land encroachment by Gen Pichitr.
At a press conference, Mr Suchai showed an aerial photograph and copies of land title deeds. He said he had received information from the family that runs the Pathawikorn 2 housing project in Bung Kum district that Gen Pichitr had a 100-square-wah plot of land with a house in the estate and it encroached on the adjacent 162 square wah of land covering roads and a swamp for public use.
Gen Pichitr had also built a shelter in the middle of the swamp, he alleged.
"The encroachment took place several decades ago. Being a privy councillor, Gen Pichitr should not have abused his power by violating the rights of other people. He should return the encroached land.
"I once went to the Si Sao Thewes residence [of Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda] to submit the petition but Admiral Pachun Tamprateep [Gen Prem's aide] told me to instead go to the office of the Privy Council.
"On the way to that office I found that I was under surveillance, but managed to flee," Mr Sudchai claimed.
Mr Pracha said his committee would look into the petition and attached documents. If the accusation had grounds, the committee would invite Gen Pichitr, the housing project owner, director of Bung Kum district, and director-general of the Land Department to testify, probably next week.
Gen Pichitr is the second member of the Privy Council to have been targeted by the red shirts, who had earlier attacked Privy Councillor Surayud Chulanont for encroaching on a forest reserve at Khao Yai Thiang in Nakhon Ratchasima province.
Gen Surayud, who denied any intention to encroach on the forest and said he obtained the land in good faith, subsequently agreed to give up the land.
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