Continued violence may risk Thailand's collapse: army chief

[BANGKOK] Thailand's army chief warned yesterday that the country risks "collapse" unless it pulls back from escalating violence after attacks in recent days left three children dead in the kingdom's worst political unrest since 2010.

"As days go by, there will be more violence until it cannot be controlled," army chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha warned in a rare televised live speech. "If losses continue, the country will collapse for sure and nobody will win or lose."

General Prayut urged reconciliation and talks. He said that troops are "ready to do their duty" but "do not want to use force and weapons to unnecessarily fight with the Thai people". He did not elaborate. The army chief's comments are closely scrutinised for signs of possible intervention.

The head of the government's security response to the protests also predicted more unrest. "From now on, violence will keep happening, for sure, so anyone who is not involved in the protests should not go to them," said Labour Minister Chalerm Yubamrung.

The government says that it has been hamstrung by a court ruling last week banning it from using force to disperse peaceful protesters. Twenty-one people have now been killed and more than 700 wounded in violence linked to almost four months of anti-government demonstrations.

The current unrest is the most severe in the bitterly divided kingdom since protests by Thaksin-allied "Red Shirts" against a previous government in 2010 sparked clashes and a military crackdown that left more than 90 people dead.

Supporters of Thaksin have accused the demonstrators of trying to incite the military to seize power again, in a country which has seen 18 successful or attempted coups since 1932.

The shocking deaths of the three children over the weekend earned swift condemnation from UN chief Ban Ki Moon. Prime Minister Yingluck labelled them "terrorist acts".

The UN children's fund UNICEF also urged protesters to keep children away from the rallies, which have for many weeks been treated as boisterous family occasions. - AFP