Unnecessary for emergency decree right now: Thai army leader

Thailand's Assistant Army Commander Gen. Anupong Phaochinda said on Sunday it is unnecessary to announce emergency state right now although more than 20,000 demonstrators marched to the army headquarters Saturday night and clashed with police.

"We believe the police could control the situation," said Anupong, who also is a deputy secretary-general of the Council for National Security (CNS). He said he saw no necessary to impose emergency decree.

Meanwhile, Bangkok police chief Pol. Lt-Gen. Adisorn Nonsi said the police will keep on monitoring the situation as the demonstrators are still rallying at the central Sanam Luang Square Sunday morning.

More than 20,000 anti-junta demonstrators marched on to the army headquarters Saturday night, breaking through several police barricades to demand the resignation of the coup leader and the end of Thailand's "military dictatorship".

They demanded the resignation of Army Chief General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin who masterminded the Sept. 19 coup last year that toppled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The police formed two large human barricades to prevent the protesters from reaching the army building, but each barricade was dispersed following negotiations between officers and rally organizers.

As they marched towards the headquarters, the crowd shouted: " Thaksin come back! The CNS get out!"

The protest followed the Constitution Tribunal's May 30 decision to dissolve the populist Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party for committing election fraud in the April 2 polls in 2006.

Sonthi staged a coup against Thaksin on charges that he and his party had engaged in massive corruption during their five years in power and had undermined democratic institutions and divided the nation.

The CNS and the government have promised to hold a general election this December and return power to the people, but the May 30 decision to disband Thai Rak Thai has effectively banned Thaksin from politics for the next five years as well as 111 other party executives.

Source: Xinhua