Anti-coup photos to get rewards

Anti-coup photos to get rewards

A 500-baht reward is to be offered to the public for pictures capturing anti-coup activities, said police.

Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Somyos Phumphunmuang announced the move yesterday after an hour-long meeting between police and military officers to discuss anti-coup activities.

Pol Gen Somyos said anyone with photographic evidence of the anti-coup campaign can send it to the Royal Thai Police Office (RTPO).

Only pictures that can be used in court as evidence will receive the 500-baht reward.

If there are more than one picture of the same person, the best one will be selected and receive the reward, Pol Gen Somyos said.

He said he intends to assign officers to distribute rewards, which are to be paid in cash or transferred into bank accounts.

Pol Gen Somyos said the campaign aims to use those loyal to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to help tackle the problem, he said.

Despite sporadic three-finger salutes, there have been few examples of anti-coup campaigns en masse, and police and army officers have not needed to employ heavy-handed measures so far, he said.

Instead, those involved in anti-coup campaigns have been taken into custody for talks to “adjust their attitudes”.

Their detention will not be for long, and the measure has so far yielded positive results, he said.

Anti-coup activities are showing signs of abating, he added.

The majority of people support the work of the NCPO, the deputy police chief said, as is evident from the results of several public polls.

“The activities of splinter groups with different views threaten to cause unrest within society,” Pol Gen Somyos said.

“Army and police officers will only pursue harsh measures against those who are guilty of breaking the law. Law-abiding citizens will not be targeted,”  he said.

Discussions are ongoing to pull troops and police off the streets and only deploy them to activity-prone areas, he added.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (1)