CMPO not to use violence against protesters

BANGKOK, February 1 (TNA) - The caretaker government-run Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO) insists that CMPO authorities have no policy to use violence against anti-government protesters and will try to prevent any untoward incident on Sunday’s general election. CMPO Director Police Captain Chalerm Yubumrung told journalists on Saturday that the CMPO had received intelligence reports, indicating that protesters would block some of the polling stations tomorrow. Chalerm, who is also Caretaker Labour Minister, suggested that voters who could not cast their ballots could lodge complaints with police so that legal action could be taken against the protesters. The CMPO chief warned that violence could erupt between protesters of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) and voters who wish to cast their ballots if the protesters blocked them from entering the booths, stressing that rallies organised by the PDRC have violated other people’s rights. Meanwhile, Anuthin Charnvirakul, leader of the coalition Bhumjaithai Party, which has fielded candidates in the February 2 general election, urged voters to exercise their right in order to restore order in Thailand. Abhisit Vejjajiva, leader of the Democrat Party, which has boycotted the February 2 national poll, announced, in the meantime, in his Facebook that he would not exercise his right on Sunday because this election is “against the Constitution and won’t achieve success under the democratic system”. (TNA)