Army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda yesterday urged the government to take responsibility for Tuesday's police crackdown on People's Alliance for Democracy demonstrators outside parliament.Sondhi Limthongkul, a core leader of the People’s Alliance for Democracy, surrenders to police to hear charges of illegal assembly and inciting unrest. He and the other PAD leaders facing the same charges were later released on bail yesterday. THITI WANNAMONTHA
His comments reiterated those in a radio interview with army spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd who early in the day said the government should take responsibility for the violent clashes.
Gen Anupong said: "The government must investigate who issued the order and if police officers operated in accordance with the law. This was because the order could easily lead to injuries and loss of life."
"I am not saying the government is wrong or not wrong. But it must take responsibility. It depends how it will take responsibility," he added.
The army chief, who has repeatedly ruled out a coup to resolve the political strife, said it was not right to pressure the army to stage a coup after the government refused to take responsibility.
He said he had evaluated the option, but could not see the merits of it.
"If the situation returned to normal, it would be interesting. But as we can see mostly it cannot solve the problem," he said, pointing to the political turmoil and street protests by anti-coup groups after the Sept 19, 2006 coup in which he was also involved as commander of the First Army.
Hitting back at former deputy prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh who urged him not to be afraid of seizing power to solve the ongoing political crisis, Gen Anupong urged Gen Chavalit to reflect on his handling of the situation leading to the Oct 7 crackdown.
"I think he [Gen Chavalit] should get back to his work on Oct 6 and finish it," Gen Anupong said.
Early in the day, Col Sansern defended the army's role in a radio programme in which he reiterated that the deployment of troops was to protect the people - not to reinforce the police. The programme was broadcast on 126 army-owned radio stations.
Col Sansern said the government should take responsibility. He said the initial task of the government was to launch a swift, transparent inquiry into the tear gas fiasco.
In defence of the army not getting involved in the political confrontation, he said soldiers could not be deployed to protect demonstrators while police were dispersing the crowds.
"If soldiers were sent out, they would be operating against police. It would appear that two key government security agencies were fighting each other.
"And each side had weapons. There could have been high numbers of casualties. A wound would have been inflicted upon the country," he said.
A source in the army said yesterday that troops were put on full alert yesterday and today to brace for possible violence such as bomb or arson attacks to force the army to stage a coup.
The Internal Security Operations Command has set up a special unit to monitor the political situation.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said yesterday he would consider all suggestions amid calls for him to resign or dissolve the House.
"I will listen to all suggestions. The country is ours. I will do the appropriate things," he said.
He said he was approaching individuals to sit on a government panel to investigate the police crackdown.
He said that a deputy prime minister would be appointed to head another committee, to be responsible for rehabilitation of the victims and those affected by the Oct 7 violence.
The prime minister has also cancelled planned visits to neighbouring countries.
Maj-Gen Chamlong Srimuang, a PAD core leader, said the group planned to rally at the national police headquarters on Monday to protest the use of force to disperse protesters last Tuesday.
source bangkok post
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