Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung has called a meeting of National Security Council (NSC)for Monday to discuss preparations for the planned anti-government rally by the Pitak Siam group.
NSC secretary-general Lt Gen Paradon Pattanathabut said on Friday that the meeting would assess possible situations and consider whether it was necessary ti invoke the special law to ensure law and order during the anti-government protest.
The decision would be based on the number of protesters who acxtually turnout and join in the anti-government rally at the Royal Plaza on Nov 24, he added.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had directed armed forces and police chiefs to use non-violent means in overseeing the rally. It was not necessary for soldiers to help control the situation at this time, Lt-Gen Paradon said.
Police would take full responsibility in keeping the situation under control, he added.
The NSC secretary-general said the special law’s would be used, if needed, to empower the national police chief and give him full authority to order state agencies to help maintain peace and order.
He believed the turnout for the protest by the Pitak Siam group, led by Gen Boonlert Kaewprasit, alias Seh Ai, would be lower than earlier estimation of 50,000 because the reasons given for holding rally were unjustified.
He was confident police were capable of controlling the situation.
A representative of Gen Boonlert had assured him that the Nov 24 rally would be peaceful, he said.
There would be no confrontation between the protesters and the red-shirts because the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) had also confirmed it would not hold any activity in Bangkok on Nov 24, he added.
Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said on Friday that his party supports national police chief Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkaew’s proposal to use the Internal Security Act to control the situation.
Mr Prompong said he had learned that people in more than 20 provinces were being encouraged to join the rally in Bangkok and the number of protesters could swell to tens of thousands.
Therefore the special law was necessary to maintain law and order, he added.
House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont said on Friday that he believed most Thai people would not support an undemocratic move to topple the government.
In a democratic system all sides must accept the government elected by the majority of voters, Mr Somsak said.
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