PM says police will defend themselves if protestors don’t respect the law

PM Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday asked demonstrators to respect the law, stating that the police are capable of protecting themselves if they are assaulted by anti-government demonstrators.

The PM says he is unconcerned about demonstrations as long as the coordinators obtain the necessary permits and follow the law. The 68 year old politician warned teenagers who attended the protest to consider their futures since charges would appear on their criminal history records.

“Everybody wants democracy, and the government isn’t opposed to that. Officers won’t initiate violence if the protests are harmless. Don’t assault them, as they are allowed to defend themselves from harm too.”

The PM made the remarks after the Thalu Gas group held a protest over the weekend that expanded to various parts of Bangkok, with some demonstrators intensifying their protest near the Din Daeng junction.

Given the chaos caused by the demonstrators, it was a surprise no arrests were made by the police. Many roadblocks were put up around the Din Daeng junction, and officers were said to have engaged with a number of demonstrators before backing away.

Explosives were thrown by some demonstrators, causing injury to 2 police officers from the Protection and Crowd Control Division, while other officers suffered minor injuries from firecrackers, according to police lieutenant general, Samran Nualma.

Prior to yesterday’s rally, Samran examined the crowd management plan and revealed authorities had to set up traffic lanes to avoid bottlenecks in the area. He verified that police were well prepared to handle the event and predicted the protests would not escalate into violence.

During a scan of the area before the rally, a team of explosive ordnance disposal officials discovered over 20 “ping-pong” explosives, firecrackers, lighters, and marbles under the Din Daeng freeway.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post