Thailand's Caretaker PM monitors updated situation

BANGKOK, January 24 (TNA) - Thailand's Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is monitoring updates, following the imposition of the executive decree on public administration in emergency situations in Bangkok and some areas in peripheral provinces. Yingluck convened the Defence Council on Thursday morning, during which she expressed her concerns over continual violent attacks against demonstrators and ordered relevant authorities to strictly control the distribution of weapons to soldiers, while ensuring troops can cast their votes on the February 2 new general election. Yingluck also assigned unit commanders to cope with the dissemination of distorted information. The caretaker prime minister is scheduled to chair a Cabinet meeting on Thursday afternoon to, among other issues on the agenda, follow up the updated situation relating to anti-government demonstrations and discuss impacts from the caretaker government’s decision earlier this week to enforce the 60-day emergency decree to cope with demonstrations, effective from January 22, 2014. Meanwhile, Suthep Thaugsuban, secretary-general of the anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), led demonstrators from Asok Intersection to Sukhumvit, Lang Suan, Sarasin, Witthayu and Phetchaburi areas in the capital on Thursday morning, before returning to the Asok Intersection, aimed at persuading people to join his anti-government protest. It was Suthep's first march after the caretaker government announced the imposition of the emergency decree on January 21. In a related development, neither protest leaders nor their lawyers have arrived at the Department of Corrections on the outskirts of Bangkok to acknowledge their charges on treason and other legal violations relating to their protest, pressed by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), which is waiting for the 55 protest leaders, summonsed for the second time, until January 24. It was reported that lawyers of some summonsed protest leaders would seek postponement, as protest leaders would turn themselves in after ending their protest. (TNA)