Thailand’s cabinet on Jan. 5 approved a 7.5 million USD budget for the army to buy anti-riot equipment in anticipation of fresh anti-government protests.
The money will be spent on rubber bullets as well as tear gas canisters, net launchers and body armour, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told the press after the first weekly cabinet meeting of the year.
He went on to say that the cabinet approved this budget in order to make security officials better prepared and better equipped.
The equipment was necessary because the army predicted more protests in Bangkok and in northeastern Thailand, according to the army’s source.
The leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, or the red-shirted people, are due to meet in the middle of this month to decide on a fresh schedule of protests calling on PM Abhisit to resign and hold new elections.
Abhisit has faced constant red shirts protests since he came to power in Dec. 2008./.
The money will be spent on rubber bullets as well as tear gas canisters, net launchers and body armour, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told the press after the first weekly cabinet meeting of the year.
He went on to say that the cabinet approved this budget in order to make security officials better prepared and better equipped.
The equipment was necessary because the army predicted more protests in Bangkok and in northeastern Thailand, according to the army’s source.
The leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, or the red-shirted people, are due to meet in the middle of this month to decide on a fresh schedule of protests calling on PM Abhisit to resign and hold new elections.
Abhisit has faced constant red shirts protests since he came to power in Dec. 2008./.
