Troops retaking Red Shirt bastions advance on UDD’s central protest site

BANGKOK, May 19 (TNA) – Thai army troops engaged in reasserting government control over areas in central Bangkok from Red Shirt protesters are gradually advancing to demonstrators’ central base at Ratchaprasong intersection, pressing hard against the anti-government ‘Red Shirt’ United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) bastions.

In an operation using armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and truck-mounted water cannon to spearhead the movement of advancing foot soldiers began early Wednesday morning with the armour crashing through the Red Shirt tyre-and-sharpened bamboo barriers at Sala Daeng, but the troops moved carefully and did not advance into Lumpini Park as they awaited bomb clearance operation teams.

Panitan Wattanayagorn, deputy secretary-general to the prime minister, said on national television Wednesday morning that the Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situations (CRES) had intensified its campaign to seal off the rally site for the safety of the general public.

CRES intensified its containment operation for public safety, “to restore peace, control rioting” and to reduce the impact of the disaster, Dr Panitan said.

As acting government spokesman, Dr Panitan said the intensifying military containment operation would continue all day and urged the public to avoid areas in the operation.

CRES would provide updates on the progress of the operation to the public, he said.

Protesters burned tyres on the road beside Chulalongkorn Hospital and the wind blew toxic smoke into hospital buildings. The fires were eventually extinguished but the acid smoke lingered.

The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) at Din Daeng, a site of fierce fighting between troops and protesters, was set afire but was later brought under control.

The entrance gate guard booth and the first floor of the ONCB were damaged in the fire resulting from a homemade gasoline bomb attack by teenagers thought to be Red Shirt protesters.

Meanwhile, Sen Lertrat Rattanavanich said he believed that the government wanted to end bloody the street fighting between protesters and the army Wednesday and that core leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) would be arrested.

Gen Lertrat, who led a group of senators to talk with UDD leaders at the main protest site at Ratchaprasong Tuesday night, said as the government had extended holidays for another three days, starting Wednesday, he believed that the government had already decided to end the unrest by using force.

“It’s a pity that force will be used as losses [of life] would occur. The government has no choice and this will be proven in the next few hours,” said Gen Lertrat during a television interview.

Korbsak Sabhavasu, secretary-general to the prime minister, said in an early Wednesday TV interview, that the best way to end the bloodshed is for the protesters to end the demonstration immediately, while those facing arrest warrants must surrender to police and enter the judicial process.

Mr Korbsak said that Senate Speaker Prasopsuk Boondej’s attempt to hold a tripartite meeting to end the political deadlock is similar to the process conducted two weeks ago.

He said the process is “time consuming and useless”. He advised UDD leaders to confer with fugitive, ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and ask him how to end the unrest. (TNA)