Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva warned anti-government protesters Friday not to blockade his office or resort to violence at a major rally planned this weekend where 5,500 police and soldiers will be deployed to keep the peace, according to AP. Supporters of deposed fugitive leader Thaksin Shinawatra have called the protest for Sunday outside Abhisit's office, Government House, to demand his resignation. Abhisit's government invoked special security powers earlier this week citing fears the gathering could turn violent and plunge the country back into political turmoil. «The protest must be within the rule of law, and there must be no use of violence so that officials and Cabinet members can enter the Government House to work normally,» Abhisit said Friday after a meeting of his top security advisers. The protest will be the first major rally outside Government House since April when Thaksin supporters gathered there, and riots erupted in downtown Bangkok that left two dead and more than 120 injured. Thaksin was deposed in a 2006 coup but remains at the center of a protracted political crisis. The first elections following his ouster brought his allies back to power, setting off months of protests by his opponents who eventually occupied Government House for three months and shut down the capital's airports for a week. Those demonstrations only died down after court decisions brought Abhisit to power in December. But now Thaksin's allies have taken up the protest mantle. The political fight has been calm in recent months, but the government fears it could heat up. Abhisit told reporters the protest Sunday will be allowed in front of his office «as long as it doesn't block the passages to offices,» adding he expected a big crowd. «Since there will be a lot of people, everyone will have to be cautious.» Army spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd said 5,500 soldiers, police and riot police will be deployed, armed only with riot gear. On Tuesday, the government invoked use of the stringent Internal Security Act from Saturday until Tuesday in the Bangkok district surrounding Abhisit's office. The ISA allows security forces to impose curfews and restrict freedom of movement in situations deemed harmful to national security. Protest organizers have said their goal is to keep the rally peaceful.
