Foreign Correspondence

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Thailand government does not want to use violence .. excerpt ..

The emergency decree also follows unsuccessful efforts Tuesday by hundreds of police and military
personnel to force the UDD to vacate a prime commercial area of Bangkok. The rallies at the site
began Saturday and forced hundreds of shops and restaurants to close in the popular tourist area.

A representative for Human Rights Watch, Sunai Pasuk, says the location makes it difficult for security forces to move
against the protesters. "It is very difficult if the government is thinking of dispersal of the Red Shirts using the
internal security act to vacate the protester[s] from this business community because there will be severe collateral
damage to the property, as well as to the life of the protester[s] as well as those who live in the neighborhood," said Pasuk.

Analysts warn the declaration of an emergency decree may trigger further
violence by the Red Shirt movement in its bid to force the government to resign.

In the 1970s and in 1992, the Thai military led bloody crackdowns against demonstrators. But the government has
repeatedly said it wants to avoid violence this time, although it has issued arrest warrants for 10 UDD leaders.

VOA News / Apr. 08, 2010 08:33 KST

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