Ninety-nine elephants banned from Thai protest

Authorities in Thailand are preparing to stop 99 elephants and thousands of villagers from protesting against the possible dissolution of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s political party.

“The authorities are trying to convince the elephant owners not to bring their animals to Bangkok. We have to use all means to stop the elephants from joining the political rally,” said Lt. Gen. Prayuth Chanocha, commander of the 1st Army, which is responsible for peacekeeping in Bangkok.

He said the protesters and pachyderms plan to enter Bangkok on May 29, a day before the Constitutional Court is due to deliver a verdict that could lead to the disbanding of both Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai party and the opposition Democrat Party for allegedly breaking the law during an election in April last year.

The leaders of both parties have publicly promised to accept the court’s ruling, but some senior members of Thai Rak Thai are threatening to stage mass protests if their party is disbanded.

Thaksin was ousted in a bloodless military coup last September after months of street protests and flawed elections. Now living abroad, he and his family are under investigation for alleged corruption and other offences.

Prayuth cited intelligence sources as saying that thousands of villagers from northern and north-eastern Thailand, strongholds of the Thai Rak Thai party, were poised to travel to Bangkok with 99 elephants. Nine is an auspicious number in Thailand.

Defence Minister Gen. Bunrod Somtad has threatened to declare a state of emergency if the political protest turns into chaos, but Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said he anticipated no violence.