Suthep scorns arrest warrant

Suthep scorns arrest warrant

Protest leader calls for all govt offices to be stormed

Anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban has defied a warrant issued for his arrest by calling on protesters to storm all ministries and provincial halls nationwide today.

A tired-looking anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban wipes his brow at the Finance Ministry on Tuesday. He led protesters in a raid on the ministry on Monday. PATIPAT JANTHONG

The Criminal Court on Tuesday approved an arrest warrant for Mr Suthep for illegal assembly and invading government offices.

The warrant had been requested by Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) deputy chief Khachonsak Pansakhon.

Mr Suthep insisted last night at the Finance Ministry he would not flee as he said he respected the justice system but would not turn himself in to police until the so-called "Thaksin regime" is uprooted from the country.

By Thaksin regime, Mr Suthep and the anti-government protesters refer to the influence of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra on Thai politics.

He said if his supporters did not want him to be arrested, they should come to Bangkok to join the protests.

"These could be my last words to you. I don't know what will become of me."

The veteran politician urged protesters to stay alert throughout the night as he had received reports that the police would break into the compound to arrest him.

Mr Suthep urged all anti-government demonstrators across the country to take over the fight by laying siege to all government offices.

"I'm asking Bangkok people to do like I did at the Finance Ministry at all remaining ministries and for people in the provinces to do it at provincial halls and tell officials not to serve the Thaksin regime anymore," he said.

"We have to do it simultaneously tomorrow [today], otherwise we will have no chance of victory."

Mr Suthep insisted he was not leading the fight against the government for his own vested gains.

"I give my word that I'm not doing this [leading the protest] for power or positions for the Democrat Party or for the party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.

"And I declare before the sanctity of Buddhism that I, Suthep Thaugsuban, will not be prime minister in the future," he said.

In at least two provinces _ Saraburi and Satun _ anti-government groups tried to break into provincial halls on Tuesday afternoon. But riot police blocked them from entering. No violence was reported as of last night.

Demonstrators, meanwhile, laid siege to more ministries on Tueday, police said.

Mr Suthep's anti-government protest ally, the People's Democratic Force to Overthrow Thaksinism, gathering at Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge besieged the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, the Tourism and Sports Ministry, and the Transport Ministry on Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue on Tuesday, as well as the Interior Ministry on Assadang Road near Sanam Luang.

At 10am the gathering scattered into three groups of about 200 people each to block the gates of the ministries on Ratchadamnoen. They demanded officials leave the ministries and chained the gates shut.

The main group of around 8,000 people led by Preecha Iamsuphan and Somkiat Pongpaibul moved to surround the Interior Ministry where the situation was the most tense. They demanded that all civil servants exit the building.

The protest leaders threatened to cut off power and water to the compound.

Some of the civil servants left the premises, but others opted to stay behind.

At 3pm, the protesters carried through on their threat and switched off the ministry's main electricity transformer, while about 1,000 defence volunteers were deployed to prevent the compound's main gate from being breached.

The ministry then sent senior officials to negotiate with the protest leaders.

About 5.45pm, Samdin Lertbut of the Dhamma Army told the crowd that Prapas Boonyindee, interior deputy permanent secretary, had promised to stop serving the government.

He declared victory and ordered power restored to the ministry.

However, Department of Provincial Administration director-general Siriphong Hantrakul, who participated in the negotiations, told the Bangkok Post that the ministry would not stop working because state officials still had to perform their duties. The ministry has, however, told its staff to remain at home until the problem is resolved.

Another group of protesters led by Nitithorn Lamluea, of the Network of Students and People for Thailand's Reform, yesterday left the Foreign Ministry, where they had been camped since Monday, to return to their protest base in the Nang Loeng area last night.

Meanwhile, Ekanat Promphan, spokesman of another anti-government protest group, dismissed media reports that a German journalist had been attacked by protesters on Monday after being singled out by ex-Democrat MP for Chumphon Chumpol Julsai as a red-shirt supporter.

He said his group would write to the media company the journalist works for to report his "bias against the protesters".

Mr Suthep's alleged violations of sections 215 and 365 of the Criminal Code led the court to agree to issue the arrest warrant for him yesterday.

Jesada Anujaree, a lawyer representing Mr Suthep, had earlier filed an objection against the MPB's request.

He said the bureau should have followed the standard practice of making two requests for Mr Suthep to report voluntarily to police before an arrest warrant was sought.

Mr Jesada also said if the protest led by Mr Suthep, who stood down as a Democrat Party MP to lead the anti-government rally, was deemed illegal, the gathering of the pro-government red shirts at Rajamangala National Stadium should also be regarded as violating the Internal Security Act.

Red-shirt core leader Jatuporn Prompan insisted the red shirts would continue their demonstration at Rajamangala National Stadium until the anti-government protesters dispersed.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday said she was willing to hold talks with Mr Suthep and would also welcome him to the government's political reform forum.

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