Government forces will lay siege to the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship's (UDD) protest site at around Ratchaprasong intersection from 6pm today, Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said on Thursday.
Col Sansern said armoured personnel carriers (APCs) would be used to protect soldiers during the operation.
Roadblocks would be set up. Protesters would be allowed to leave the protest site, but no-one would be allowed to enter.
Snipers carrying real weapons and live ammunition would move into position. However, heavy weapons such as machineguns and grenades would not be used, he said.
Live ammunition would be used - fired into the sky to scare away attackers, to protect the lives of security personnel, and to shoot armed assailants.
Col Sansern said that by 6pm the water supply, mobile and fixed line telephone services, bus, electric train and boat servicesto the area would come to a halt. Whether or when to cut the power supply would be decided later.
The CRES had asked businesses in the Ratchaprasong vicinity to allow their employees to go home before 6pm and to take leave on Friday, he said.
Earlier reports said army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda on Wednesday approved "Operation Ratchaprasong" involving 32,000 troops and 120 APCs to seal off the rally site. The APCs were reportedly scheduled to leave their base in Saraburi last night.
Following the CRES announcement, UDD secretary-general Nathawut Saikua, said the red shirts would be ready for any situation.
However, it would be better for the government to stick with peaceful means, which would not cause more losses.
Mr Nathawut said although the government might want to use force the protesters would adhere to a peaceful struggle.
"Let's wait to see whether the government will follow international standards [in dispersing the protesters].
"We would not be here if we were going to give in easily to pressure. We are here as fighters.
"We are not underlings who can be easily ordered about by the government and do what it wants us to," he said.
Mr Nathawut warned the government to change its mind before 6pm and do as demanded by the protesters - for the prime minister and his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban to enter the justice process.
On the government's concern that the rally would affect the opening of schools situated around the area for the new semester, he said the UDD would work with school administrators.
Mr Nathawut said the protesters would not end their rally as long as those responsible for the April 10 bloodbath remain at large, otherwise the protest would be pointless.
In the morning, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said that he withdrew his offer of a general election on Nov 14 after protesters refused to end their rally.
"However, I will proceed with the five-point reconciliation plan," he said on the sidelines of a seminar on community development at a Bangkok hotel.
The prime minister also ensured that he would bring the situation back to normalcy before the beginning of the new school term next Monday.
The prime minister's secretary-general Korbsak Sabhavasu said Wednesday that the government has cancelled the election offer because the UDD has shown no signs of complying with Mr Abhisit's demand to end the rally.
Mr Abhisit proposed his reconciliation roadmap and offered the Nov 14 poll date on May 3. He later announced House dissolution between Sept 15 and 30.
The red shirt leaders accepted the House dissolution and poll date, but refused to end their prolonged rally at Ratchprasong intersection unless Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban faces criminal charges in relation to the bloody April 10 clashes between security forces and the protesters.
From : Bangkok Post
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