Soldiers arrested a co-leader of the anti-regime New Democracy Movement and about 10 other activists as they were campaigning for a "no" vote in the Aug 7 referendum on the draft constitution in Samut Prakan on Thursday evening.
The group was distributing documents encouraging the “no” vote at Kaeha Bang Phli Market in Bang Sao Thong district late in the afternoon when police and soldiers stepped in and ordered them to call off the demonstration.
NDM key member Rangsiman Rome insisted the group was not breaching any law.
At about 5.30pm, uniformed and plainclothes soldiers forced Mr Rangsiman, a Thammasat law graduate, and another NDM member into a pickup truck belonging to the Department of Provincial Administration after lengthy negotiations had failed. They were taken to Bangsaotong police station for questioning.
The NDM later wrote on its Facebook that about 10 more people involved in organising the demonstration were taken to the police station. Police have yet to file any charge against the NDM members.