Thailand's police on Thursday called on the people to help ensure a smooth and safe Olympic Torch Relay in the capital Bangkok on Saturday, while warning that any foreigners attempting to sabotage the relay may be deported.
In an announcement made public through Thailand's TV and radio broadcasters, the police said hosting the Olympic Torch Relay is an honor for Thailand, and all Thais are obliged to safeguard the Olympic flame and ensure a smooth and safe relay.
The police also warned that any foreign groups or citizens attempting to disrupt or sabotage the relay would be held to have violated Thai laws and subjected to tough punishment, including visa revocation and expulsion from Thailand.
The warning came after reported disturbances in the relay's previous legs in London and Paris, where "pro-Tibet independence" activists attempted to disrupt the relay by snatching the torch from its bearers.
The chartered plane carrying the Olympic flame will arrive in Bangkok early Friday from New Delhi, India. The relay in Bangkok, the 12th leg of the global run, will be the first time that the Olympic torch relay is held in the southeast Asian country since 1936.
Eighty torchbearers are expected to run through a route of about 10 km during Saturday's rally in Bangkok. At least 1,000 police have been mobilized to maintain order along the route.
(Xinhua News Agency April 17, 2008)