Security tight in Thai capital for anti-government rally

Thailand’s police chief said on Friday he would deploy almost 17,000 officers to prevent violence at an anti-government rally on the weekend, after the government invoked a special security law saying democracy was under threat.

The rally could herald another period of unrest in Thailand, which has seen frequent bloody street protests in recent years, including a rally lasting more than two months by supporters of the present government in 2010, which was put down by the army.

At least 50,000 protesters are expected to gather near parliament in the capital, Bangkok, on Saturday, Police Chief Adul Saengsingkaew told a news conference.

The government’s decision to invoke the Internal Security Act (ISA) in the area of the protest site will allow the police to ban gatherings at sensitive government locations and gives them more power to arrest people on public order grounds.

“This ISA is not in place to disperse the rally or stop it from happening but to make sure the rally takes place peacefully. It is a protective measure to make sure the demonstration runs smoothly,” Adul said.

In a televised statement on Thursday, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said that in invoking the law, she had acted to protect democracy.