PM GREETED WITH ABUSE AND FERMENTED FISH ON TRIP NORTH

       Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was yesterday welcomed to Lop Buri province with bags of fermented fish and a barrage of shoes thrown by red shirt protesters.
       During the visit to Tha Wung district, his motorcade was confronted by a group of about 100 red shirts who successfully broke through a perimeter of about 500 policemen and soldiers.
       They waved placards and made vulgar speeches against the prime minister.
       When Mr Abhisit's motorcade was leaving the district office, protesters hurled objects including bags of soft drinks, plastic cups, bags containing fermented fish and shoes. The red shirts' disruption of the prime minister's trip was seen as a prelude to a planned rally next Saturday.
       Mr Abhisit, who had held talks yesterday with the new acting police chief, Thani Somboonsap, about the Sept 19 rallies, said the cabinet would invoke the Internal Security Act (ISA) on Tuesday to handle the rally.
       The government's ability to rely on the police to control next week's protests has been thrown into question after Mr Abhisit forced the national police chief, Patcharawat Wongsuwon, from his job.
       The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) leader Chatuporn Prompan yesterday shrugged off the government's plan to enforce the ISA, saying the the UDD would continue to hold the rally even if the government invoked the law.
       They will exercise their right to rally without weapons under Article 63 of the constitution, he added.
       On Saturday, the third anniversary of the 2006 coup, red shirts are to hold a rally at the Royal Plaza before moving to the Si Sao Theves residence of Privy Council president Gen Prem Tinsulanonda.
       The rally would end at about midnight, he said.
       Mr Chatuporn said he is also discussing with other UDD leaders the possibility of leading protesters to the office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to "test police security measures" there.
       Security has been beefed up at the NACC office in the wake of Friday's bomb attack at the former house of commissioner Vicha Mahakhun.
       The bomb attack is believed to be linked to the NACC's decision to bring charges against those involved in the Oct 7 crackdown last year, including Pol Gen Patcharawat, on anti-government demonstrators.