Thai military to be ready during rally

BANGKOK, March 10 (UPI) -- Thai military officials say the tough Internal Security Act will be enough to maintain order during a weekend rally by supporters of a former prime minister.

The rally in Bangkok and other places could attract hundreds of thousands and is organized mainly by supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire who now lives in exile after being ousted in a 2006 military coup.

Thai Army Chief Anupong Paojinda said he is confident the ISA, which the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva agreed to invoke, will be enough to deal with the rally without using emergency powers, the Bangkok Post reported Wednesday. The act transfers law and order responsibilities from police to the armed forces.

The internal security law will be in force until March 23, covering all of Bangkok and other districts where rallies are planned.

Organizers of the "red shirt" rally led by United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, or UDD, have said they plan to continue their demonstration until new elections are called by the current 14-month old government.

Prime Minister Abhisit said the government will not use force to put down the rally but ruled out dissolving parliament, the Post reported.

Last month, the Thai Supreme Court found Thaksin guilty of abuse of power and concealing his wealth while he was in power, and ordered the seizure of $1.4 billion, or 60 percent of his assets, which have been frozen since the 2006 coup. Thaksin, who has denied the charges, already has been sentenced to two years in prison for corruption.