Police warn 'lawbreakers' of crackdown on coup anniversary

Police warn 'lawbreakers' of crackdown on coup anniversary

Anti-regime groups release balloons with a message reading
Anti-regime groups release balloons with a message reading "May 22 at Government House" during an event at Thammasat University's Tha Prachan campus on May 5, 2018. (Photo by Patipat Janthong)

Police will crack down on pro-election activists if they move out of Thammasat University, where they have planned to stage a gathering on May 21-22 to mark the fourth anniversary of the coup by the National Council for Peace and Order that brought down the Yingluck Shinawatra government, deputy police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said on Sunday.

Pol Gen Srivara said the planned gathering by the pro-election group, intended to call for a quick election and mark the 4th anniversary of the NCPO, was regarded as political.

The group had sought permission to gather inside Thammasat University only. If the protesters moved out of the university, they would be regarded as violating the Public Gathering Act and NCPO's Order No 3/2558, which bans a political gathering of five or more people.

The violators would face strict law enforcement, he said.

The deputy police chief in charge of security affairs said that, based on an assessment of the situation, the demonstrators from around the country but expected to number only in the hundreds.

However, he said, according to police intelligence, some radicals or hard-core members of the red-shirt movement planned to bring in heavy weapons to create a flashpoint. Therefore, both ordinary red-shirts and hard-core members would be closely watched.

Between three and 20 companies of police, including crowd-control units, would be on alert to cope with any situation, he said. Ambulances and vehicles to hold destained suspects would also be deployed.

Pol Gen Srivara said the area within a 50-metre radius of Government House would be declared off limits. Violators would be subject to a jail term of not exceeding six months or a fine of not more than 10,000 baht, or both.

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