Thai police say ready to maintain security during mass rally

BANGKOK, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Police are ready to maintain law and order during a mass anti-government rally as police have been closely monitoring those, who will potentially incite violence, spokesperson of Operation Center of the Royal Thai Police Office, said Wednesday.

Starting from March 12, police are ready to maintain security, the National News Bureau of Thailand (NNT) under the state-owned Public Relations Department, quoted Police Major General Prawoot Thawansiri as saying.

Sensitive places, including gas stations and other public facilities, have been under close watch by policemen, said Prawoot.

Also, security men have already been deployed to ensure security at residences of important persons, said the spokesperson.

A number of closed circuit televisions (CCTVs) of the police, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and private sector are ready to record any event, the spokesperson has warned.

In a related development, acting national police chief Pateep Tanprasert has reiterated that police officers and family members need to be neutral on politics.

On Tuesday, Thailand's weekly cabinet decided to impose the Internal Security Act (ISA) during March 11-23 to ensure law and order in the mass rally by the United front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) group.