Two junior police transferred for not being neutral

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Two junior police transferred for not being neutral
By The Nation
2011-06-03

Two junior policemen each based in Buri Ram and Yasothon have been transferred away for "not acting neutral" during political rallies in the runup to the July 3 election.

The two unnamed noncoms have been accused of acting unlawfully in their extra favour of unspecified political parties against electoral regulations.

An investigation into similar acts by the police chief of newlyestablished province of Bueng Kan is complete and probe results will be known today, said Pol General Phongsaphat Phongcharoen, head of the police's centre handling security in the poll.

Nakhon Sawan and Chiang Rai are the two latest provinces announced as "hot spots" in addition to 13 others, following police intelligence reports on tendency of political violence.

He said a large number of raids and arrests would be conducted the soonest in the 15 provinces including Bangkok to capture war weapons and unauthorised handguns as part of police's preemtive measures to deter violence.

Police protection has been provided now to a total of 183 candidates, mostly those based in the North, and second most in the Central.

Ballots were yesterday flown to Thai embassies and foreign missions worldwide for advance voting from June 1226, with police escort of transport of ballots provided at Suvarnabhumi airport.

The general said police were working on sketchs of assailants suspected of lobbing a grenade at the main rally site of the People's Alliance for Democracy near the Government House, while working on a clue indicating the use of the same Chinesemade grenade in two previous attacks in Bangkok last year.

A number of Type 822 grenades were also found in Wat Pathum Wanaram where the red shirt protestors camped during their violent progests last May.

Police in the deep South made arrests of 886 people they said were career criminals and drug dealers since April, while 12 gunmen in addition to the most wanted 73 on the run were on a local watchlist.