Privy Councillor Surayud Chulanont said yesterday he was ready to comply with the law and the attorney-general's decision relating to his possession of land on Khao Yai Thieng, even if it meant he must return the land.Ads by Google
Surayud said he did not expect the government to enforce the Internal Security Act in the area to control a red-shirt rally on Monday because it was not a national issue and he did not want anything to instigate violence.
Red-shirt leaders had earlier announced they would lead thousands of landless farmers to rally outside Surayud's holiday home to protest against the government's double standards in failing to take action against the former PM for allegedly encroaching on forest land.
Caretaker police chief General Patheep Tanprasert said yesterday around 5,000 police officers would be deployed to deal with the 10,000 expected red shirts.
Patheep said that considering the terrain, officers should be able to control the protest easier than in Bangkok. And they wouldn't have to cope with traffic.
He said crowd-control measures would be in line with international standards, starting with negotiation. They had also prepared water trucks and tear gas, Patheep said.
Veteran politician Prasong Soonsiri said the government should prepare well to deal with the protesters. Otherwise, they might close the nearby main road to the Northeast and put more pressure on the government.
Permanent secretary for defence, General Apichart Penkitti, said the military was also keeping an eye on the red-shirts' rally. However, it would not take any action unless requested by the police, he said.
Apichart said he had no knowl edge of officers in the military mobilising local people against the red shirts, despite media reports.
"Solving problems doesn't always need violence or any unrighteous conduct. In the past, invocation of the Internal Security Act could keep peace. So I think there should be no problem," he said.
He also denied speculation that political violence could lead to another military coup. In reply to calls for the military to interfere, Apichart said it depended on the authority the military received. Unless the government requested it, the military would take no action.
Permanent secretary at the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, Saksit Treedej, said forestry officers would work with police in dealing with the red shirts. They would clarify with the protesters about Surayud's holding of the land.
Land Development Department director-general Tawatchai Samrongwattana said many government agencies are in charge of Khao Yai Thieng area so the probe into whether it was encroached-upon land would need documents and joint investigation
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