A Bangkok Post story from late today:
UDD again claims army preparing for a coup
Core members of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) claim the army’s show of force this week is clear evidence of preparations for a coup to block the general election.
And a story from the Nation today:
Red-shirt leaders blow whistle on coup
Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Promphan said Army Chief of Staff General Dapong Rattanasuwan should explain why he urgenly summoned three key commanders to meet him at his residence on Wednesday’s night.
The three commanders were from the First, Second and Ninth Divisions based in Bangkok, Prachin Buri and Kanchanaburi respectively. All three divisions were involved in the 2006 coup.
Red-shirt leader Natthawut Saikua said he suspected the Army was plotting a coup under the disguise of ensuring preparedness to uphold the monarchy.
Natthawut claimed the mock exercise on preparedness was actually a checking campaign to rally the subordinates before staging the power seizure.
He said under the coup plotters would work in three steps – trying to revoke the bail of red-shirt leaders, ensuring the House dissolution in the first week of May and seizing power of the caretaker government.
Just noting these stories for the record.