‘King told police to stop blocking roads for royal motorcades years ago’

Rear Admiral Thanitpong Sirisawetsak, spokesman of the Defence Ministry, said police had stopped blocking entire roads for royal motorcades in line with the wish of His Majesty.

He said His Majesty was concerned about the people who would be affected by motorcades of the King and other Royal Family members and the King had told the Royal Thai Police to properly manage traffic by providing both traffic ways for the motorcades and the people.

The spokesman was referring to the ongoing dispute between monarchy reformists and loyalists on preferential treatment for royal motorcades.

Seen as an attempt to draw public attention to her cause, Tantawan “Tawan Thaluwang” Tuatulanon and her Thaluwang colleague, Natthanon Chaiyamahabut, chased a royal motorcade of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on an expressway on February 4. They allegedly tried to cut into the motorcade from a lane provided for general motorists, prompting police protecting the motorcade to stop them, leading to verbal dispute that was broadcast live on Facebook by the activists.

On Thursday, Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang held a meeting of the Defence Council during which he and the top brass discussed the incident.

Sutin said he has been monitoring the campaigns of the Thaluwang activists closely and he has instructed the military leaders to prevent similar incidents from happening.

Sutin said that providing protection to Royal Family members was the top priority of the armed forces, but there was already the Royal Thai Police and a special agency of His Majesty in charge of the security for the King and Royal Family members.

“If it is too much for the two agencies to handle, the armed forces are ready to step in to help,” Sutin said.

He said intelligence agencies of the military also monitor moves of the activists and the military would do all in its capacity to prevent similar incidents from happening.

Sutin said the armed forces could make their stand on the issue within the legal framework and military discipline.

“During the past few days, the armed forces have properly expressed their stand. We won’t step over the line to intimidate or violate people’s rights. We have to take these two issues into account,” Sutin said.

Asked whether the conflicts between the loyalists and reformists could worsen into a situation like what happened on October 6, 1976, Sutin said the military was also taking the concern into account.

“Although we’ll protect the Royal Family to the full extent, we must use conscience and experience from the past to take proper measures. If we’re not careful, the impact may be the other way.

“We believe someone may be planning to do it, but we are watching and we know what they are up to and we will not let ourselves become their tool to worsen the situation to that point.”

On Tuesday before her arrest, Tantawan said she was not worried about criticism and intimidation from loyalist groups, but she said she hoped the country would not regress to 1976. She said she simply wanted a safe zone for society to discuss her grouse related to the royal motorcades.

In 1976, right-wing groups were instigated to kill Thammsat University students after they were accused of being disloyal to the monarchy.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said he would like the security agencies to provide good care and protection to HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

“The princess has done good for the country and she has been working hard. I would like security agencies to take good care of HRH,” Srettha said.

“We’ll stand by the law that we are enforcing.”

Srettha was commenting on the social phenomenon of many ordinary people and celebrities wearing purple, the colour symbol of the princess, following the February 4 incident.