No protests at Government House

The grounds of Government House have been declared off-limits to any public gatherings, even peaceful ones, Bangkokโ€s deputy police chief said Monday.

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Anti-government protesters surround Government House late last year in a scene Bangkok police say will not be repeated. SITHIKORN WONGWUDTHIANUN

Bangkok police ban rallies, even peaceful ones, at Government House

Patsara Jikkham

The grounds of Government House have been declared off-limits to any public gatherings, even peaceful ones, Bangkok’s deputy police chief said Monday.

At an hour-long security meeting with officers, Pol Maj Gen Amnuay Nimmano of the Metropolitan Police Bureau declared that any demonstrators, protesters or others assembling on the areas around Government House will be arrested immediately.

A newly appointed cabinet is expected to begin using the building in September.

Pol Maj Gen Amnuay said the meeting concluded that the Government House was an official venue and symbol of administrative powers, therefore all groups of people should be strictly banned from staging rallies or blocking roads around it.

This includes peaceful rallies, he said, as it was still regarded as breaching martial law, which bans public gatherings of more than five people.

The Royal Thai Police would ask Prime Minister's Office permanent secretary ML Panadda Diskul to deploy officials to receive complaints from people in their provinces so that they do not have to travel  to Bangkok.

Most recently People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) chief Suthep Thuagsuban, foreground, used the Thai Khu Fah building as his command centre. PATIPAT JANTHONG

Protesters, officers in riot gear, road barriers and tear gas smoke have been a common sight at Government House over the past decade. In 2008, yellow shirt demonstrators led by the People's Alliance for Democracy seized the building for 193 days.

Early this year, it was besieged for several months by supporters of the Network for Students and People for Reform of Thailand, who were pushing to unseat the since-ousted Pheu Thai government. Most recently, People's Democratic Reform Committee protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban used the Thai Khu Fah building as his command centre.

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