It's Not Over

Emergency to be extended in Bangkok

By The Nation

Extension needed as intellgience points to more violence from October to December

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday suggested that the emergency decree will likely be further extended for Bangkok and neighbouring provinces at the next Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Last Friday, the state of emergency was lifted in three northeastern provinces - Khon Kaen, Udon Thani and Nakhon Ratchasima - prompting red-shirt protesters to regroup publicly.

Yesterday, a group of 100 red shirts in Nakhon Ratchasima staged the first political rally after the state of emergency was lifted.

The events, attended by two Pheu Thai members, included a musical show. Free food was offered to the gatherers. Somphote Prasartthai, one of the Pheu Thai members, called on the government to dissolve the House.

Meanwhile, sources at the Centre for Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) said the premier is worried that the security situation could worsen from October to December.

Intelligence from three separate agencies suggest it is highly likely that there would be a series of violent incidents and unrest involving places with political significance.

"The premier has ordered Suthep [who is in charge of the overall security situation] to step up measures to deal with ill-intentioned efforts aimed at causing chaos," said the CRES source.

"We also need to ensure maximum security at the residences of VIPs in politics, military and judiciary," the source added.

The source said security forces are particularly worried about political activities in October, including the October 7 event planned by the yellow shirts.

On Tuesday, the Cabinet is expected to approve the appointment of Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan to succeed Deputy Prime Minsiter Suthep Thaugsuban as CRES director.

Suthep plans to resign his post by Friday to run in the by-election in Surat Thani's Constituency 1.

The by-election will be held on October 30 to select a replacement for former Democrat MP Chumphon Kanchana, who faces a five-year ban from politics for submitting a false assets statement.

PM Abhisit will today leave for the Asia-Europe Meeting in Belgium.

Deputy premier Suthep has been assigned to chair the Cabinet meeting in his capacity as acting prime minister.

In a related development, the opposition Pheu Thai Party issued a statement entitled "Five Steps To Reconciliation".

Deputy party leader Plodprasob Surassawadee said the measures included:

- Stop hunting down the red shirts, or malice will result in revenge;

- Stop the bomb attacks;

- Stop all large-scale rallies by all sides, which he said would result in confrontation and counter-measures;

- Stop violating the monarchy or exploiting it for personal and political gains;

- Stop the state of emergency.