Deputy PM won’t let Red Shirt protesters close airport

BANGKOK, Jan 20 (TNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Wednesday said he would not allow the Red Shirt protesters to close Suvarnabhumi Airport, while ruling out enforcement of the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Mr Suthep said that the Red Shirts should not protest at the country’s main airport as they will cause trouble to the public and damage to the nation.

The Red Shirt anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) claims that the government has applied a double standard to the UDD Red Shirts and the Yellow Shirt protesters.

The pro-Thaksin UDD announced on Tuesday it would rally to press for legal action against its major rival the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), the Yellow Shirts, which seized the airport in late 2008, to the detriment of Thailand’s tourist industry and image around the world.

“Officials are working on the airport seizure case. If the Red Shirts believe that the Yellow Shirts protest at the airport was wrong, they should not threaten to do the same thing,” Mr Suthep said.

“If they decide to gather at the airport, I will prevent any move to close the airport,” the deputy prime minister said in his capacity as national security chief. However, Mr Suthep said he believed that the police would be able to control the situation and the government needs not to enforce the Internal Security Act (ISA).

There is progress in the case and prosecutors will file suit soon, but he cannot intervene to hasten the process, the deputy prime minister said.

The protesters can stage a peaceful protest, if it is not prolonged and protesters have not blocked roads to cause trouble to the public. Mr Suthep said he must evaluate the situation again to decide whether to block them from entering the airport or not. (TNA)