Security In Place For Songkran

BY JAMALUDDIN MUHAMMAD BANGKOK, April 13 (Bernama) – With the bomb attacks in Bangkok, Yala, Hat Yai coupled with a tsunami threat still fresh on the people's minds, the Thai government has taken the necessary measures to ensure public and tourists' safety during the four-day Songkran celebration starting Friday. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said today that overall, the security situation was normal and assured that the government would keep close watch on the situation for a trouble-free festival. "All ministries have been on alert," she said here Thursday. Millions of people including tourists are expected to converge to main cities through out the country for the famous water-splashing festival during the four days of public holidays. Songkran is celebrated to mark the Thai traditional new year and it has been an important event on the country's tourism calendar. Meanwhile, police have prepared bomb disposal squads to face any eventuality during the festival and set up roadblocks to major cities in screening revellers. Deputy National Police Chief Pol Maj Gen Wichai Sangpraphai said intelligence reports indicated no insurgent attack would take place during the celebration. In Bangkok, the main Songkran celebrations will be at Khao San, Silom, Royal City Avenue and Suan Luang. A triple bombing case in Bangkok on Feb 14 left five people injured including the bomber himself while the Yala and Hat Yai bomb attacks resulted in the deaths of 14 people and more than 400 injured. Two Malaysians were among the dead and 27 injured in the Hat Yai incident at Lee Garden Plaza Hotel. The country was shocked by a tsunami threat Wednesday following the 8.5 magnitude earthquake in Aceh, Indonesia. Meanwhile, in ALOR SETAR (Kedah, Malaysia), Senator Boon Som Inong said Songkran, which is also celebrated by the Siamese community in Malaysia, was to herald in the community's new year and had nothing to do with rituals of people of the Buddhist faith. "It is just that the Buddhist temples are the preffered choice to hold the celebration. This is mainly because the Siamese in Malaysia are Buddhists and the temples also act as a community centre for them," he said in a statement. Boon, who is the representative of the community at the national level, added that the celebration could be held in open spaces or even at halls. He was commenting on report carried out in a local daily Wednesday which attributed the Perlis Fatwa Council as saying that Muslims should not participate in the celebration because it had Buddhist rituals. -- BERNAMA