Opposition members and anti-government groups vowed on Tuesday to march through police blockades to parliament to fight against an amnesty bill due to be deliberated in the Lower House on Wednesday.
Police in riot gear stage a drill to block protesters from entering restricted areas around Government House and parliament. The police are preparing to deal with anti-amnesty bill protesters expected to move on to parliament today. CHANAT KATANYU
The Democrat Party fielded 50 MPs, including its leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, to speak at its "Stage of Truth" rally at Uruphong intersection in Bangkok last night. Around 2,500 supporters turned up.
The Democrats were holding their rally overnight and they planned to march to parliament at 9am Wednesday.
The opposition party activity coincided with a rally by the People's Democratic Force to Overthrow Thaksinism (Pefot) at Lumpini Park.
Pefot claims the amnesty bill will unfairly absolve political wrongdoers.
The group says the beneficiaries would include former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who has been in self-imposed exile overseas since being handed a two-year prison sentence in 2008.
As it stands, if he returns to Thailand he will have to serve the jail term.
Thaksin backed red-shirt protests in 2010 aimed at overthrowing the Abhisit government of the time. A military crackdown claimed 91 lives and ended in arson attacks in downtown Bangkok.
Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva told the demonstrators last night his party plans an all-out effort to oppose the amnesty bill proposed by Pheu Thai MP Worachai Hema. He said the bill would offer amnesty to those who killed people, fired grenades, burned private and public properties, and insulted the monarchy during the political chaos after the 2006 coup until 2011. It might also benefit "the corrupt person", he added.
"Since this government took power two years ago, it has never made serious efforts to achieve reconciliation. Why should it use the reconciliation effort as an excuse to push the amnesty," he said.
Mr Abhisit called on his supporters to protest the bill lawfully.
"I'm asking all of you to join us to oppose the bill to the utmost but we will not do it like the red shirts did. We will act under the law," Mr Abhisit said.
Pefot coordinator Thaikorn Polsuwan said that as the government will not withdraw the bill, his group will gather its supporters at Lumpini Park at 9am today.
The movement's leader, Banawit Kengrian, claimed 20,000 people would join his group and it would coordinate its movements with the Democrat Party in the protest against the bill.
Piya Uthayo, spokesman of the government's peace-keeping centre, said between 25 to 32 police companies, or about 4,800 officers, have been mobilised to cope with the demonstrators.
"The peace-keeping centre, the National Security Council and the National Intelligence Agency have learned that demonstrators will march from all directions toward the parliament," he said.
"They will attempt to provoke officials to use force and to lay siege to parliament to prevent the House session, so emergency entries and exits have been prepared."
Democrat Party members led by Abhisit Vejjajiva on stage near Urupong intersection urging supporters to rally against the amnesty bill to be debated in parliament on Wednesday. (Photo by Thiti Wannamontha)
Deputy Bangkok police chief Adul Narongsak said police were continuing to close roads to Government House and parliament. He quoted intelligence reports as saying demonstrators planned to use catapults and stones against police.
Pol Maj Gen Adul insisted police would not let protesters enter restricted areas.
According to a cabinet source, national police chief Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkaew and Bangkok police chief Pol Lt Gen Khamronwit Thoopkrajang reported yesterday that 38,910 officials from the military, the Interior Ministry and the police were mobilised to cope with demonstrators. They doubted there would large number of protesters and predicted police would be able to deal with them.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Tuesday said she had asked officials to exercise patience and urged demonstrators to keep their protest peaceful and lawful.
She believes MPs will be able to enter the House today and said she will be there as well. She also urged the Democrat Party to say what it wants to say in parliament rather than on the streets.
Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said his party would support the amnesty bill and would not raise any other amnesty or reconciliation bills in the House.
He said 30 Pheu Thai MPs will speak in today's session. The debate can continue until 11pm and may proceed tomorrow.
Pheu Thai MPs will travel to parliament by themselves as Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan and Deputy Prime Minister Pracha Promnok confirmed police could secure their access to parliament.Cecile Pouilly, spokeswoman for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, says the amnesty bill being taken up this week could pardon people involved in abuses during the military crackdown on anti-government protesters in 2010.
She told reporters yesterday in Geneva the Thai government must ensure any amnesty measure "excludes those who are responsible for human rights violations and to take steps to prosecute perpetrators of such violations".
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will close its nine schools in Dusit district from today until Friday for students' safety.