Thai gov’t asks for more troops in Bangkok in anticipation of violence erupting
The Thai government is to ask the army to deploy more troops in Bangkok as fears mount that the country’s lengthy political crisis could move into a more violent phase. Surapong Tovichakchaikul, a deputy prime minister, voiced concern on April 25 about the potential for clashes between pro- and anti-government groups if caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is ousted in May as a result of legal cases brought against her, the Bangkok Post reported.
“There are important legal cases coming up next month and the red-shirts will rally,” said Surapong, who heads the Center for the Administration of Peace and Order (Capo) that coordinates the state’s handling of the protests.
“We are worried there will be violence and clashes between the protesters and the red shirts, which is why we must increase the presence of troops to protect security,” he told reporters.
Opposition leader and former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva also warned of an escalation in violence next month and offered to help kick-start dialogue between the different parties and groups involved in the protest.
The murder of a prominent pro-government activist in the capital on April 23 underscored a sense of trouble ahead, The month-long battle for power is paralysing government, halting investment and damaging the country’s economic reputation at a time when ambitious neighbours are trying to take over its role as a trading, manufacturing and tourism hub.
If the country steps into civil war, as some observers fear, it could havefar-reaching consequences for the entire region, in particular the formation of a single market and production base through the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) which is slated for launch in 2015.
[caption id="attachment_22485" align="alignleft" width="300"] A model posing with Thai soldiers in Bangkok[/caption] The Thai government is to ask the army to deploy more troops in Bangkok as fears mount that the country's lengthy political crisis could move into a more violent phase. Surapong Tovichakchaikul, a deputy prime minister, voiced concern on April 25 about the potential for clashes between pro- and anti-government groups if caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is ousted in May as a result of legal cases brought against her, the Bangkok Post reported. "There are important legal cases coming up next month and the red-shirts will rally,"...
The Thai government is to ask the army to deploy more troops in Bangkok as fears mount that the country’s lengthy political crisis could move into a more violent phase. Surapong Tovichakchaikul, a deputy prime minister, voiced concern on April 25 about the potential for clashes between pro- and anti-government groups if caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is ousted in May as a result of legal cases brought against her, the Bangkok Post reported.
“There are important legal cases coming up next month and the red-shirts will rally,” said Surapong, who heads the Center for the Administration of Peace and Order (Capo) that coordinates the state’s handling of the protests.
“We are worried there will be violence and clashes between the protesters and the red shirts, which is why we must increase the presence of troops to protect security,” he told reporters.
Opposition leader and former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva also warned of an escalation in violence next month and offered to help kick-start dialogue between the different parties and groups involved in the protest.
The murder of a prominent pro-government activist in the capital on April 23 underscored a sense of trouble ahead, The month-long battle for power is paralysing government, halting investment and damaging the country’s economic reputation at a time when ambitious neighbours are trying to take over its role as a trading, manufacturing and tourism hub.
If the country steps into civil war, as some observers fear, it could havefar-reaching consequences for the entire region, in particular the formation of a single market and production base through the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) which is slated for launch in 2015.
