TOP COMMUNIST ARRESTED Troops On Alert In Bangkok

Press, Issue 32345, 10 July 1970, Page 13

TOP COMMUNIST ARRESTED Troops On Alert In Bangkok

(N.Z.P.A .-Reuter—Copyright) BANGKOK, July 9. Police and troops were placed in a state of alert in Bangkok last night after discovery of Communist documents indicating plans to attack Government buildings and military installations, a police chief said today.

General Prasert Ruchirawong, Director-Gen-eral of Police, told reporters that the plans were discovered in the possession of a Thaiborn businessman of Chinese origin whose arrest was announced last night.

The plans indicated that the Communists intended to attack these Government positions, he said. The businessman was last night identified by the Prime Minister (Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn) as Prasert lewchai, aged 50. He was among eight Communists arrested, the Prime Minister said in a broadcast statement.

The police chief said today that Prasert had confessed he was chairman of the central committee of the outlawed Thai party and controlled the entire guerrilla movement throughout the country. He said that Prasert was arrested after a chase through the streets of Thonburi, Bangkok’s twin city, on July 3. The capture of the plans and the Communist activities had led the Government to call a state of alert in Bangkok and Thonburi. It would remain until the situation improved, he said. Marshal Kittikachorn said in his broadcast the backbone of the Communist movement in Thailand had been broken. His disclosure of the arrests came as he explained the decision to increase import duty on more than 200 items, an issue that spelled political trouble for the Government in a debate due in Parliament today.

Last night all the Opposition parties and about 40 members of the ruling United Thai People’s Party said that they would vote against the Government on the measure.

In his speech last night, the Prime Minister said that the new tax measures were needed to solve the country’s balance of payments problems. Some people, he added, were trying to cause trouble over the move. The new import tax is designed to bring an additional revenue of 1,000 million baht (s43m) for the Government. Some politicians including members of the ruling party —are known to consider the move too drastic.

Members of the major Opposition Democrat Party said that they were suspicious of the alert and the arrests announcement on the eve of today’s crucial debate. They said that they were under pressure to approve the Government’s decree, which would increase the cost of such things as petrol, toilet goods, motor-cars and spirits from 20 per cent to 100 per cent. Resignation Suggestion The “Bangkok Post” reported that the Government might ask the Finance Minister (Dr Serm Vinichaikul) to resign in an attempt to appease members of Parliament opposing the tax measure, published last week by the Finance Ministry. The newspaper said that by making the Finance Minister a scapegoat the Government might avoid Parliamentary defeat and resignation en masse. No official comment on the report was immediately available. In his speech last night Marshal Thanom also warned the nation the situation along the Thai-Cambodian border was serious. The Gov-

ernment had taken all necessary measures to meet it The Prime Minister’s statement comes after intensive counter-insurgency operations over the last year, particularly in jungle border areas with Malaysia. Air Force planes joined attacks on guerrilla camps earlier this year in support of joint operations mounted by both Thai and Malaysian forces. Other trouble spots lie in the border areas close to Laos and Cambodia. / ,