Thai police to keep rubber farmer protest under control

BANGKOK, September 4 (TNA) - Thailand’s National Police Chief Police General Adul Saengsingkaew says he believes that local police forces can bring the ongoing protest of southern rubber farmers under control and the enforcement of the Internal Security Act (ISA) has, thus, been considered unnecessary. Police General Adul insisted on Wednesday that local police and provincial authorities have put the overall rallying situation under control. According to the national police chief, local police will keep on negotiating with the protesters to make sure that they will no longer block any road and will never besiege any government office or airport. The national police chief told reporters that local police may seek the civil court's order for the protesters to keep away from traffic zones and they are gathering evidence to seek the court's approval of arrest warrants against leaders of the protesting rubber farmers who were found to stir violent unrest. The protesting rubber farmers have remained rallying in four southern Thai provinces, including Surat Thani, Krabi, Phattalung and Nakhon Si Thammarat, with local police having closely monitored the situation. The national police chief made the remarks after receiving Iranian Ambassador to Thailand Hussein Kamaleyan, who paid a courtesy call on him to discuss bilateral cooperation between Bangkok and Tehran related to missions of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). Meanwhile, the tourism association in Thailand's southern resort Krabi Province pointed out that the persistent street demonstrations against falling prices of the southern rubber farmers have begun affecting the local tourism, with more flights and trips having reportedly been canceled. (TNA)