07.10.09 Security act to be imposed
The Cabinet yesterday approved the use of Internal Security Act
during the upcoming East Asian Summit in Cha-am and Hua Hin from
October 12-27.
The tough measure is aimed at preventing a repeat of last April's
events when anti-government mobs stormed the Pattaya summit, forcing
several world leaders to flee by boat and helicopters. "We
have no indication right now that there will be attempts to cause
chaos, but we have to make sure there is no problem," Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told reporters yesterday. Abhisit
said the ISA, which allows security forces to impose curfews and
restrict movement of people in situations deemed harmful to national
security, was a defence measure. Separately, the Cabinet
approved a bill that requires groups to notify police of gatherings at
least five days in advance and prohibits demonstrators from besieging
government offices, Abhisit said there was a general
consensus that a legislation on public demonstration was needed. He
dismissed suggestions that the draft law was a curb on the right of the
public to free speech. The security breakdown at the
Pattaya summit was an embarrassing experience for the Abhisit
administration and a setback for the image of the security agencies
assigned to the site. Police blamed the absence of security guidelines stipulating the level of force permitted in such a situation. Abhisit
said the proposed law was drafted with inputs from the police and
maintained that it should be adequate enough to serve as a guiding
principle for security officials assigned to maintain law and order at
public demonstration sites. Thailand's chairmanship of the standing committee of the 10-member Asean coincided with one of the worst political turmoil to hit the country in decades. Besides the 10 Asean members, the summit will bring leaders from Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.
Source: The Nation, 07.10.09 http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/10/07/politics/politics_30113955.php
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