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Thai cabinet extends security act for capital

Other News Materials 23 March 2010 12:09 (UTC +04:00)
The Thai cabinet on Tuesday decided to extend the Internal Security Act for another week in Bangkok, where protestors seized the streets over the weekend and plan to do so again
Thai cabinet extends security act for capital

The Thai cabinet on Tuesday decided to extend the Internal Security Act for another week in Bangkok, where protestors seized the streets over the weekend and plan to do so again, dpa reported.

   The security law puts crowd control under the military and allows the government to bar protests in certain sensitive spots. It was invoked March 11, until Tuesday, when it was extended until March 30, when the cabinet next meets.

   Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat said the act would only be enforced in Bangkok and the neighbouring provinces of Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan.

   On Saturday, the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) mobilized about 65,000 protestors in a 17,000-vehicle caravan through Bangkok to highlight their demands that Prime Minster Abhisit Vejjajiva resign, dissolve parliament and call new elections.

   Abhisit responded by saying that he was open to negotiations on dissolving parliament, but talks have not begun.

   On Tuesday, the UDD sent about 1,000 followers out on motorcycles throughout Bangkok to distribute leaflets demanding the dissolution of parliament.

   The government has put about 40,000 soldiers and police on standby to keep the peace in the capital during the demonstration period, which began March 12. UDD leaders originally predicted that the protest would last one week, but they now seemed determined to go on for at least another weekend.

   Thaksin Shinawatra, the fugitive former premier who was ousted by a coup in 2006 and is now one of the UDD's key ringleaders, has been urging his followers to step up protests in Bangkok and the provinces in nightly phoned-in messages to their rallies from abroad.

   Thaksin is in based in Dubai, after fleeing a two-year prison sentence on a conviction of abusing power as prime minister.

   Last week, the UDD said 1 million protestors would descend on the capital from the provinces by March 14. About 100,000 materialized, and their numbers dwindled over the week as Bangkok's scorching heat and lack of a quick victory took their toll.

   Failing to force Abhisit's resignation, the UDD resorted to media-friendly tactics of pouring blood drawn from its supporters on the steps of Government House, at the headquarters of the ruling Democrat Party and at Abhisit's home.

   So far, the UDD protest has been peaceful, but observers said they fear it could turn violent if it drags on too long and fails to achieve its aims.

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