Bangkok and some provinces will be under curfew today from 11pm to 5am and the Centre for the Resolution for the Emergency Situation (CRES) has no immediate plan to repeal the emergency decree, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said yesterday.

The curfew would remain in place today and the decision on whether to extend it would be made on a day-to-day basis, said Mr Suthep, who is the centre director.

Yesterday a curfew was declared between 9pm to 5am. The curfew was lifted in Pattaya. The centre had no plans to lift the emergency decree for the time being, he said.

The CRES believed that a large amount of heavy weapons were still in the possession of radical red shirt groups and vowed to find them to prevent further violence, he said.

“The CRES will press ahead with our operations to search for weapons and arrest those who took away the authorities’ arms,” Mr Suthep said.

According to the CRES, 85 people died (74 civilians and 11 security officers) and 1,402 were injured (991 civilians and 411 security officers) in a series of violent clashes and bomb attacks since April 10.

During the CRES briefing, officials displayed weapons and ammunition seized from the red shirt rally site, including M79 grenade launchers,  AK47s, handguns, several types of grenades, Molotov cocktails, bullets for automatic weapons and firecrackers.

“These are solid evidence to prove that the red shirt leaders instigated their people to torch businesses and state premises,” said CRES spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd.

More weapons were found behind the rally stage at Ratchaprasong intersection and in the basement of the torched CentralWorld building yesterday.

As security officials continued their search for more weapons and other UDD members, work was underway to get the capital back on track.

All government agencies, offices and schools in the city open today.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) expects to return clean streets to Bangkokians tomorrow after a massive clean-up operation at six red shirt protest venues today.

Deputy Bangkok governor Pornthep Techapaiboon said the BMA would today mobilise about 3,000 city workers and volunteers to sweep, clean and help to beautify areas of the city left filthy by the week’s events.

The areas are: 1) Ratchadamri Road-Ratchaprasong area; 2) Silom-Narathiwat Ratchanakharin-Sathon roads; 3) Saphan Lueang, Sam Yan intersection, Siam Square and Henri Dunant Road; 4) Witthayu-Sarasin-Lang Suan roads and the Chidlom area; 5) Rama IV Road and areas in Bon Kai, Klong Toey and Channel 3 TV office; 6) and Ratchaprarop-Sri Ayutthaya intersections and the Din Daeng area.

As the two-month rally ended on Wednesday with widespread arson and looting in several spots in Bangkok as well as in northern and northeastern provinces, efforts now are geared towards the rehabilitation of damaged private and commercial properties.

The CRES set up a panel to assist small business operators and others affected by the rally.

PM’s Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey chairs the 16-member committee to assess damages incurred by small businesses and individuals as a result of the political chaos.  Apirak Kosayodhin, an adviser to the prime minister, serves as the deputy chairman, according to the CRES order.

Democrat Party spokesman Buranat Samutharak yesterday said the party is concerned about three risk factors that could impede the government’s national restoration and reconciliation process.

These factors are the movement of the radical Siam Red group, the movement of terrorist militants, and the political actions overseas of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, said Mr Buranat.

 Somyot Pruksakasemsuk, a young UDD leader, was interrogated by police yesterday after being arrested at a  Big C superstore in Lat Phrao.

Mr Somyot, leader of the June 24 Democratic group and the editor of Thai Red News newspaper, was apprehended by officers from Chokchai police station after he had set up a display of photographs of red shirt protesters killed during violent clashes between protesters and security forces.

Mr Somyot was later released because no arrest warrant had been issued for him under the emergency rule decree.

Mr Somyot said on Friday in front of the 111 Thai Rak Thai Foundation that red shirt mass rallies would resume next month and in July. Mr Somyot also told the press conference that his faction would unite with other red shirt groups to form the Democracy Assembly, which aimed to continue to campaign for democracy and justice.

News item Courtesy of www.bangkokpost.com