PM: Air Force and Navy to help clear airports

PAD protesters are bracing themselves for police operations to dislodge them from the Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports after the government declared a state of emergency in the two areas.

Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat announced the decision at a TV address at 9 pm. But military sources were quick to observe why the Army was left out of the scheme, noting that the Air Force and Navy had no expertise, resources and equipment to deal with the situations at the two airports.

Somchai said the imposing of the emergency state will be on temporary basis.

City police bureau will be in charge of enforcing the decree at Don Muang Airport under supervision of Interior Minister Pol Gen Kowit Wattana, he said.

The Air Force will help in the Don Muang operation whereas the Navy and the First Region Police Bureau will be in charge of the jobs at Suvarnabhurmi Airport, Somchai said.

Protest leaders at Government House surreptiously told their followers that "this may be our last night". With the leaders having always said the "war" would end in a couple of days, that can be interpreted as a positive statement. But with the state of emergency imminent, the remark also sounded ominous.

Protesters at three rally grounds _ Don Muang, Suvarnabhumi and Government House _ were also advised to take off their yellow shirts and put on ones with different colours if they were to leave the areas.

The state of emergency empowered the government to control movement of people and prohibit mass assembly in any specific locations. The prime minister is empowered to exercise the powers through the armed forces.

In a day full of widespread coup rumours, the government has pleaded with the military to remain in barracks with unconfirmed reports that PM Somchai may soon declare a state of emergency.

Government spokesman Natthawut Saikua also announced after an urgent Cabinet meeting that the government had no intention to remove Army chief Anupong Paochinda.

That the Army was left out of the state of emergency jobs kept alive rumours about a possible coup. Navy sources said they did not understand why the government wanted to enlist help from the poorly-equipped Navy instead of the Army.

"We are not trained for this kind of job," one source said.

Anupong, in his capacity as head of the government's task force monitoring the crisis, on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat to dissolve the House and the People's Alliance for Democracy to end its protests.

Rumours were rife on Thursday about a secret Anupong ultimatum that Somchai must dissolve the House before midnight Thursday or face a coup. Army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd however, has been quoted by AP as denying there would be a coup.

Newspaper offices have been flooded with phone calls inquiring or giving "tips" about an imminent coup. A source claimed Anupong had a telephone conversation with Somchai in the morning.

Government office workers have been told to leave home early, so have many private sector employees, adding to the widespread anxiety.

The Cabinet, meeting in Chiang Mai, did not consider about purging the military top brass, Government Spokesman Natthawut Saikua announced in an unexpected press conference, pleading with soldiers to remain in barracks. The announcement invariably add weight to the coup rumours.

He said he came out from the Cabinet meeting to make the announcement when the meeting was still going on because there were high speculations about coup.

Natthawut said the government would like to call on the military not to mobilise the troops because the military leaders would not be purged.

Minutes after Natthawut talked to reporters, Army-run TV Channel 5 ran a running text at the bottom of TV screen saying troop movements that were seen by the public were soldiers returning from a demonstration held for Army cadets.

The PAD, meanwhile, was cautious, mooting a theory that the coup rumours were a decoy designed to distract the protesters at the Suvarnabhumi airport before an operation to disperse the crowd.  

There were also grave concerns that a coup attempt could spark a nationwide violence involving pro- and anti-Thaksin mobs as well as the military. Suriyasai Katasila, a PAD leader, told The Nation: "Coup is the least of my concern now. I'm worried about violence because nobody seems to be in full control at the moment."