Bangkok's Criminal Court approves arrest warrants against 19 protest leaders

BANGKOK, February 5 (TNA) - Bangkok's Criminal Court has approved arrest warrants against 19 leaders of the anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), while tightened security measures have been maintained in 18 areas in the capital. The Criminal Court's approval of the arrest warrants against the 19 PDRC leaders on Wednesday was in response to an earlier request by investigators of the caretaker government-run Center for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO). The CMPO accused the 19 PDRC leaders, including PDRC secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban and PDRC spokesman Akanat Promphan, of violating the executive decree on public administration in emergency situations. The court ruled that the CMPO's investigators have sufficient witnesses and evidence to back their arrest warrant request, as the emergency decree is in effect in Bangkok, as well as Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan Provinces. According to the Criminal Court’s order, if the PDRC leaders are arrested, they will be detained at the headquarters of the Border Patrol Police Region 1 in Pathum Thani's Thanyaburi District. Their detention period is limited at seven days and interrogators must report progress of the case to the court every three months; otherwise, the court can lift the warrants. The Criminal Court also prohibits the dissemination of the arrest warrants against the PDRC leaders through hard or soft copies transmitted via social media. Meanwhile, Thai police and soldiers have remained tightening their joint security measures in 18 sensitive areas in the capital, after street demonstrations of anti-government protesters have already been reduced to five locations, including Pathumwan, Ratchaprasong, Asoke and Sala Daeng Intersections, as well as on Chaengwattana Road, while soldiers have maintained taking care at 24 important sites. National Police Chief Police General Adul Saengsingkaew have also assigned police officers to solve traffic gridlock in the capital and advise motorists to avoid several roads blocked by the street rallies and use other alternative routes. Local farmers who joined the official rice-pledging scheme and have been affected by a delayed payment, in the meantime, blocked Taling Chan–Suphan Buri Road and Tha Lo Junction in western Kanchanaburi Province's Tha Muang District, prompting Highway Police to have opened alternative routes for motorists. Representatives of the caretaker government and the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Co-operatives (BAAC) were negotiating with the protesting farmers for the re-opening of the blocked routes.(TNA)