CMPO chief scorns threat of shutdown

CMPO chief scorns threat of shutdown

Labour Minister Chalerm Yubamrung has shrugged off the threat by anti-government protesters to "shut down" the Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO).

The People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) has given the government 24 hours to dissolve the centre or have it shut by the protesters.

The deadline imposed on the CMPO by the PDRC passed at 3pm yesterday.

Mr Chalerm, who is the centre director, said he was wondering if PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban was drunk when he made his demand.

He said Mr Suthep should have known that he had no authority to order the closure of the CMPO, which was established under the emergency decree.

CMPO's office is located at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road.

The PDRC's threat to close the centre _ which is in the immediate vicinity of a special weapons unit, a US anti-drugs training ground, a storage repository for confiscated narcotics and an arms depot _ would also affect these establishments, Mr Chalerm said.

Asked if he was confident the CMPO would be safe from the PDRC's planned seizure, he said he would try his best to protect the centre and he was confident he had the ability to do so.

He said the policemen assigned to guard the centre are duty-bound to maintain law and order if the PDRC tries to close it down.

However, Mr Chalerm conceded he would move the CMPO to Nakhon Pathom's Sam Phran district if necessary.

PDRC spokesman Akanat Promphan said the CMPO no longer had the legitimacy to continue functioning as it had failed to ensure public safety.

Commenting on Mr Chalerm's ultimatum imposed on the PDRC demonstrators to leave their rally sites within three days, Mr Akanat said the PDRC viewed this as an attempt to justify the CMPO's plan to disperse the protesters.

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