11 March 2010

BANGKOK UPDATE: Troops protect airports

BANGKOK - Travellers are being warned about visiting Bangkok this weekend as fears grow that a massive anti-government protest will paralyse the city.

Organisers claim up to a million people will join an anti-government protest on to the streets of the Thai capital.

The Australian and British governments have renewed travel advisories in light of the planned political protests, but their overall level of advice for travellers has not changed from exercising "a high degree of caution".

The Thai government has invoked its Internal Security Act, in force until March 23, restricting movement around Bangkok, and giving police and soldiers sweeping powers to detain protesters and shut down parts of the city.

Police and soldiers are manning the city’s two major airports to ensure there is no repitition of the chaos that followed a blockade of Suvarnabhumi Airport by political demostrators at the end of 2008.

"The airports must continue providing services as usual. If there is any attempt to seize an airport the government will immediately disperse the demonstrators," deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban said.

A group calling itself The Stop Hurting Thailand Network yesterday urged all citizens to wear a white ribbon as a symbol of peace.

Several major events planned for Bangkok and surrounding provinces this weekend have been postponed amid concerns over potential violence at the coming red shirt rally.

The red shirts, marching under the banner of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship are loyal to ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

From Friday, they will begin massing on the outskirts of Bangkok, before moving to the old part of the city for mass protests on Saturday and Sunday, calling for the dissolution of parliament.

The protest follows a decision by the Thai Supreme Court to strip Thaksin of more than a billion dollars in assets it ruled he had earned corruptly while in office.