THAILAND: THAILAND'S ARMY chief yesterday pledged to refrain from using force to break up anti-government protests despite a state of emergency declared hours after one demonstrator was killed and dozens were injured in violent clashes.
Gen Anupong Paojinda adopted the softly-softly approach fearing hard-line measures would create greater problems. But it left the prime minister, Samak Sundaravej, in an awkward position shortly after he announced the sweeping curbs to civil liberties to maintain calm.
Mr Samak empowered the army to restore order on the streets of Bangkok after the fighting between his supporters and those demanding he quit, the worst violence seen since the anti-government campaign began in May.
The dramatic announcement came after 400 troops in riot gear were deployed to separate rival mobs who clashed after police were overwhelmed when pro-government protesters pushed through their lines.
But even after Mr Samak said the state of emergency would last only a "few days", there seemed no easy way out of the crisis with the prime minister and his government refusing to step down and the army allied to Thailand's revered king showing little inclination to evict the entrenched anti-government protesters.
Mr Samak acted swiftly to declare the state of emergency in an early morning broadcast within a few hours of the violence that left one 55-year-old man dead - reportedly beaten to death with golf clubs - and 43 injured. "I did it to solve the problems of the country," said Mr Samak. "I had no other choice. The softest means available was an emergency decree to end the situation using the law."
The order gave the army chief powers to detain and remove people from any location, deploy soldiers on the streets, censor media reports that could "undermine public security" and ban gatherings of more than five people.
The prospect of Thailand's army returning to the streets evoked memories of the military coup two years ago that removed Mr Samak's predecessor and ally Thaksin Shinawatra, who fled to the UK last month to avoid corruption charges.
But Gen Anupong, who held his own briefing shortly after the prime minister, ridiculed suggestions the army was preparing to grab power again. He said if troops were deployed to curb violence, they would only be armed with shields and batons.
Inside the government house compound occupied a week ago, thousands of Peoples Alliance for Democracy demonstrators - in yellow shirts to show allegiance to the king - secured the gates with steel hawser, and helmets, makeshift riot shields and golf clubs lay in piles. Outside, barricades of tyres and razor-wire ringed the approach roads.
Irish citizens travelling to Thailand should exercise extreme caution, the Department of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
The department has advised those travelling to avoid demonstrations, public gatherings, government buildings and state institutions, with violent clashes in the capital becoming increasingly volatile, unpredictable and dangerous. - (Guardian service)