The Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) on Wednesday night decided to postpone cutting off water and power supplies to the Ratchaprasong area for fear of causing hardships to residents in the area.

CRES spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnard said authorities has to carefully consider the matter because there are a lot of important installations in the area such as embassies, schools and hospitals.

The CRES had earlier announced plan to cut off water and power supplies and cell phone signals starting at midnight Wednesday.

Col Sansern said at night that the action could still be taken later on if it could be ascertained that the effects on residents in the vicinity are not too serious.

The CRES has received a lot of phone calls asking about the planned water- and power-supply cutoff after the plan was made public on Wednesday morning.

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Earlier story:

Water and electricity will be cut off and food supplies blocked to red-shirt protesters camping in the Ratchaprasong area from midnight Wednesday, to pressure them to end the anti-government rally and return home, Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd said on Wednesday.”This is the beginning of measures to fully enforce the law,” Col Sansern said.

Telephone signals will also be cut off, and there will be no access to public transport - buses, trains and boats – from  the protest encampment, he said.

He also warned that authorities were now ready to disperse the protesters if necessary, and called on them to leave the rally site.

“The army is ready, but at this moment I don’t want to talk about a crackdown, as we want to use measures to put pressure on them first.

“To the residents in the area — please leave. After midnight, authorities will not allow anyone to enter,” Col Sansern said.

Non-protesters living in the area as well as embassies would be affected by the measures, he said.

Leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) responded by saying they will continue their rally despite the threats.

Co-leader Korkaew Pikulthong said the protesters have their own generators, so they would still have electricity. They would also tap into the water pipes supplying the UK and the US embassies.

Another UDD leader Weng Tojirakarn said the UDD would not disperse until Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban reports to police and enters the judicial process to answer complaints involving the fatal April 10 clashes between security forces and protesters.

“None of the red-shirts are afraid of the threat to cut water and power. We will run at soldiers with our two bare hands,  even if they fire at us with assault rifles,” he said.

“We just want Suthep Thaugsuban to publicly surrender to police.”

Mr Suthep, the deputy prime minister in charge of security affairs, went the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) on Tuesday morning to acknowledge a complaint filed against him by relatives of those killed and injured in the bloody clashes, but Mr Weng said the UDD did not accept this because the DSI is a part of the CRES, which is supervised by Mr Suthep.

DSI has taken over the investigation into the April 10 clashes from police.

On Tuesday night, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva warned that the demonstration could affect the Nov 14 general election date if it continues.

He also said that the government has the legitimacy to take the necessary action to restore security and normality in the country if the UDD did not end its rally today.

“If the situation in the country does not return to normal, it will affect the election,” he said. “Protesters should return to their homes on May 12.”

News item Courtesy of www.bangkokpost.com