Some all for utilities cut off if it brings back peace and disperses red shirts
A resident who lives near the Rajprasong intersection, where antigovernment protesters have been rallying since early April, is against the government's plan to block off all access to roads surround the rally site, and check everybody's ID card and house registration papers.
"This is totally affecting my daily life," the 50yearold man, who wished to remain unnamed, told The Nation.
"We should have the freedom to go anywhere. This is my home," he said.
The man, who has been living in the Ratchathewi area for two decades now, said everyone in the community knew each other very well. Therefore, having to show identification and house registration to soldiers and police around the Rajprasong intersection was a waste of time.
"Checking people's ID card is acceptable, but checking house registration numbers is just too much," he added.
A 52yearold woman, who also wanted to be unnamed, said she was worried that blocking all access to the Rajprasong intersection would interfere with her getting to Suvarnabhumi Airport in time for her flight last night.
"I'm going on an overseas trip with my daughter, but I don't know if I will be able to leave Wireless Road. My flight is scheduled to take off at 10pm, so I should be at the airport by 8pm," the woman said.
Meanwhile, Pornpen Buaklee, 53, who works at a private clinic on Wireless Road, said she agreed with the government's moves and was ready to comply with any and all measures.
"I would do it if this measure brought back peace," she said
She added that her clinic had been badly affected by the redshirt movement because patients were too scared to visit since it was so close to the rally site. Therefore, the clinic's income has been reducing.
"My salary and overtime has been cut down because there are no patients coming to the clinic anymore," she said.
Nanta Yangyuen, 71, a food vendor, said the redshirt rally was also affecting her because they used megaphones, which were very loud at night.
"I haven't been able to sleep because of the noise and also because I'm scared about violence," she said. "Also I have very few customers. I don't want the troops to disperse the demonstrators, they should negotiate instead."
As for the government's plan to cut of electricity and water around the Rajprasong area, to push the red shirts into dispersing, the local residents and vendors did not seem to be too pleased.
Krerk, a 49yearold shopkeeper said: "I don't think the government follow up on this plan because the residents who are not red shirts will also be inconvenienced. If the government does go ahead, then shops can't open and ATMs cannot be used for a long time. Still, if this does disperse the protesters then I'm all for it. However, I don't think it will affect the protesters that much."
A cosmetic shop owner said: "This is not such a good plan. There are lots of important places around here such as embassies and hospitals. There are many foreigners living in this area, so Thailand's image will badly affected. Cutting off the utilities will affect the residents around here. Why do people who are not red shirts have to be affected?"
Sunantha, a food vendor, said: "I agree with the government's plan. If cutting off utilities does disperse the rally, then I'm all for it, though I will have problems with my income."
Peeraboon Nanthikulwanich, a 46yearold Ploenchit Road resident, said: "I hope the government really goes ahead with this plan. But they don't always do what they say they are going to, and many people have lost confidence in them."
Dum, a road sweeper, said: "The government isn't brave enough to do this. The authorities have learned a lesson from the April 10 deaths."
Fai, a 24yearold shopkeeper, said: "If the government does cut off all the utilities, then all shops will have to close down. Anyway, the red shirts have been affecting our businesses for a long time now."
Though the government did not cut off the utilities last night, it did block cellphone signals and put up some checkpoints around the area.
From : The Nation
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