JUDGEMENTS TODAY Country holds its breath

Huge security operation underway amid fears that mobs will vent anger in the streets if parties are disbanded

A sense of anxiety gripped the country yesterday on the eve of the Constitution Tribunal’s landmark rulings that could dissolve either or both of the Kingdom’s two biggest political parties.

In a repeat of what happened on the night of the coup last September, soldiers were stationed outside the offices of all broadcast media outlets yesterday evening, prior to today’s reading out of the much-awaited verdicts by the Constitution Tribunal.

The reason cited for the unsolicited troop deployments was “protection”.

State-run and private telecom organisations have been “protected” by soldiers and police since as early as 1pm yesterday, before troops were dispatched to broadcast media offices in the evening.

The Council for National Security (CNS) contacted all local broadcast media members early on to seek their “co-operation” for troop deployments, citing a textbook security plan referred to as “Pithak 1″ (Protection 1). No media members were reported to have refused the troop deployments.

The Chon Buri-based soldiers, from a unit sent to the Nation Multimedia Group compound after the September 19 coup, entered and secured the Nation Channel station, but did not visit editorial rooms of the group’s three publications.

Meanwhile, the Education Ministry decided to close all schools near the top court’s compound today - for safety reasons. The Metropolitan Electricity Authority’s Wat Liab office, which is nearby, will also be closed.

Fears of violence prompted Proctor and Gamble Manufacturing to allow its employees to voluntarily work from home, even though its premises are not near the court.

Mobile phone signals around the courthouse will be cut off starting at noon today - at the request of tribunal officials - until the much-awaited verdicts are read out, or even until later on, to prevent any possibility of wireless detonation of bombs within the area.

Both banks of Ong Ang Canal at the back of the tribunal compound have been cleared of pedestrians, following intelligence tips that hand grenades could be hurled into the compound by people hired to cause disruption, or instigate violence among supporters of either political parties.

Checkpoints have been set up at entry and exit points in and out of Bangkok manned jointly by both police and soldiers to watch for possible violence between supporters of the political parties involved or between anti-junta activists and troops. The Navy is responsible for security on the Thon Buri side and the Air Force for areas in northern Bangkok.

First Army Area commander Lt General Prayuth Jan-ocha, said all soldiers stationed in areas where confrontation with protesters was possible “must not be armed”, except for those assigned to guard and protect government properties.

“There must be someone responsible for the first shot fired, but I don’t want the whole thing to go that far,” he said.

Assistant Army commander General Saprang Kalayanamitr, said military officers had “marked” five key Thai Rak Thai members who were believed to still have influence to mobilise mass support of TRT members nationwide.

The five were Sudarat Keyuraphan, Chidchai Vanasatidya, Prommin Lertsuriyadej, Newin Chidchob and Yongyuth Tiyapairat.

He said a large number of mid- and low-level mob organisers had also been “marked” in the North and Northeast by local military officers.

He said Bangkok-based police and the First Army Area had promised they could handle a large number of people referred to as “mob in red shirts” that would be supported by taxi motorcyclists and taxi drivers, if they roamed city streets to cause trouble. The mob was expected to vent anger to a verdict that results in both the Democrat and Thai Rak Thai parties being disbanded.

Meanwhile, Suwanna Uyanunt, a vice president of the Thai Broadcasting Journalists’ Association, said yesterday that she saw two trucks full of military officers visit the Tippo Building on Rama VI Road yesterday evening. The building is the headquarters of the UBC cable TV stations.

“I don’t understand the purpose of their visit. If they claim they were there for security reasons, the police have already done that job very well. Based on past experience, there is only one reason for such a military visit, and that is to do something about media content or to control media broadcasting,” Suwanna said.

Wasan Paileeklee, director of the Mass Communication Organisation of Thailand (MCOT), said that up until 8pm he had not received any reports about a military visit to his office. “I don’t know the real situation yet. But I do believe that everyone is praying for a normal situation as soon as possible for our economy to recover and for political stability and confidence,” he said.

“If the military was aiming to provide us with security, we thank them for that. But if the aim was to interfere with our content, I think we are professional enough to know what our role is in this situation,” Wasan said.

Thanaphol Iwsakul, a member of the 19 Sept Network Against the Coup, condemned the military for going to media offices.

“Every time the army arrives at media offices, the less the facts are reported due to self censorship, and this affects what the public consumes. I insist that all Thais have a basic right to information. Our network insists on one thing today: that we have the right to protest against any coup in any form,” Thanaphol said.

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