BANGKOK - Thailand's prime minister put the army commander in charge of restoring order in the wake of bloody political unrest, taking the task away from the deputy prime minister after a botched raid Friday to arrest anti-government protest leaders. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, speaking in a special television broadcast on all stations, said Gen. Anupong Paochinda would take charge of the peacekeeping force meant to prevent violence by red-shirted protesters who are seeking to topple his government. "A decision has been made to make the command line more effective and swifter," Abhisit said. "Therefore I have made an order to change the person in charge to Anupong, the army commander." Anupong's appointment sends a signal that Abhisit is willing to raise the stakes in his standoff with the tens of thousands of mostly rural protesters camping in the Thai capital by letting the army take direct charge of security. Thai media have reported widely that junior commanders are itching to move against the protesters. Abhisit said peacekeeping force will be able to "call in forces in a more united and integrated way, so that they can handle the terrorism-related activities specifically." Troops have also failed to clear Red Shirt protesters who have besieged Bangkok for the past one month. A major attempt to clear one of the two main protest sites last Saturday ended in fierce clashes that left 24 people dead and more than 800 injured. The protesters have since consolidated their forces at the second site in an upscale shopping and hotel district. The Red Shirts are supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted in bloodless coup in 2006. They accuse Abhisit of heading an illegitimate government because it came to power without winning an election in December 2008, replacing a pro-Thaksin administration.
