Police stand guard near the site of the "Red Shirt" rally in Bangkok, Thailand, March 22, 2010. Thailand's weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday will consider extending the Internal Security Act (ISA) for a period from March 23 to March 30, Deputy Prime Minister for Security Affairs Suthep Thaugsuban said Monday. [Photo: Xinhua]

The Thai government's peace- keeping operation command has decided to allow some members of security forces to be armed in a move to ensure law and order amid the continued mass rally, army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd disclosed Monday.

Security officials having guarded state buildings and military compounds, patrolling police, and those at security check points have been permitted to be armed from now, Thai News Agency quoted Col Sansern as saying.

However, those who have been performing their duties around the rally site will not be armed, the spokesman said.

The decision has followed the recent attempts by ill-intended people, who want to instigate unrest amid the continued mass rally, he said.

Ten of thousands of the protesters led by United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) group have converged on capital Bangkok since March 12 to press the Thai Premier to dissolve the lower House of parliament and call new election.