October 11, 2008
Bangkok - Army chief Anupong Paochinda urged the government to show responsibility for losses caused by clashes between police and the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters.
Police used tear gas to clamp down the demonstrators near the parliament on Monday 7. Police clashed with the protesters as they wanted to bring MPs into parliament.
More than 400 people were injured and two were dead during the incident.
"The government must take responsibility for what they have implemented. It must investigate how things went wrong after it issued the order (for police to disperse crowds) and then consult among themselves how to take responsibility," General Anupong Paojinda told Thailand's Channel 3 television.
The PAD group accused Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat of masterminding the crackdown to enter parliament to present the government’s policies.
The group suspected police also used guns and grenades during the clampdown, vowing to take legal actions against the culprits.
Somchai ordered the setup of an independent panel to probe into the incident.
Playing down Gen Chavalit’s suggestion about a coup, Gen Anupong insisted there would be no military coup as it would not solve the root cause.
"To launch a coup at this time will not solve the problem... except to achieve the primary goal of... easing the situation, but I don't think it would solve the whole problem so the army's stance is no coup," Anupong said.
