Thai army threatens to fire live rounds on Red Shirts

Anti-government protesters cancelled their plans to carry their demonstration into Bangkok's financial district on Tuesday, after Thai authorities threatened to use live weapons and tear gas to break up new rallies. The army says it will target so-called terrorists among the Red Shirt protesters who it accuses of instigating violence ten days ago that left 25 people dead and 800 injured.

Reuters

"Security forces will begin by firing tear gas and if they cannot stop protesters, then soldiers will start taking decisive action with live bullets," army spokesman Colonel Sunsern Kaewkumnerd said following a meeting with military officials.

Army intelligence suggests that violent provocateurs among the Red Shirts are armed with hand grenades, molotov cocktails and acid, according to Kaewkumnerd.

The army could yet declare martial law to tackle the protests, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told reporters, saying that the decision would be taken by the military.

Thousands of armed troops and riot police were deployed to guard Bangkok's Silom financial district on Monday, in what Abhisit described as a successful bid to protect the area from a Red Shirt "invasion".

The Red Shirts have abandoned their planned march into Silom and will now focus on bolstering numbers at their rally base, said one of the protesters' leaders, Nattawut Saikua, on Tuesday.

The demonstrators are expecting the military to "attack" their camp some time before next Monday, according to Nattawut.

Amnesty International has called for an investigation of the protest violence earlier this month, saying that Thailand's government has a duty to protect the lives of everybody present at the rallies.

"The military used lethal force in the operations, while some individuals among the protesters also used guns and grenades, as well as improvised weapons," Amnesty said on Tuesday.

The rights group urged Thai authorities to "provide accountability for any violations
by security forces as well as abuses by violent protesters".

The government denies that live bullets were used to disperse protesters during the fatal clashes.