Courts have approved arrest warrants for two activists believed to have been among the protesters when the Queen's motorcade passed by on Phitsanulok Road on Wednesday afternoon and denied bail for five Khana Ratsadon rally leaders held during a crackdown that night.
The Criminal Court on Thursday approved the arrest warrants for activists Ekkachai Hongkangwan and Boonkueanoon Paothong for serious charges under Section 110 of the Criminal Code.
The pair were believed to have been among the protesters when the royal motorcade carrying the Queen and HRH Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti passed by. It was not revealed what they had done.
According to Section 110, whoever commits an act of violence against the liberty of the Queen shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of 16-20 years.
The opposition Move Forward Party leader had helped the suspects and questioned the government’s declaration of the serious state of emergency, saying the demonstration was peaceful.
Parit “Penguin’’ Chiwarak, Ms Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul and Nathchanon Pairoj were taken from Border Patrol Police Region 1 headquarters in Pathum Thani to the court amid tight security at around 3pm on Thursday.
Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward Party, said 21 demonstrators were detained at Border Patrol Police Region 1 headquarters. All were safe and well-treated, he said.
Of the 21 demonstrators, 18 were charged with violating the state of emergency order while the three leaders — Mr Parit, Ms Panusaya and Mr Nathchanon — were charged with colluding in sedition under Section 116 of the Criminal Code.
Two other leaders — Arnon Nampa and Prasit Khrutharoj — were also held during the crackdown on the outstanding warrants for sedition charges approved by the Chiang Mai Court for their roles in a rally in the northern provinces on Aug 9. They were flown in a helicopter to Chiang Mai where the court also denied them bail on the same day. Mr Anon complained he had been denied the right to a lawyer.
Meanwhile, Pol Lt Gen Amporn Buarupporn, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 1, said 23 demonstrators were detained at the region 1 headquarters and officers treated them in line with human rights principles. All demonstrators had their health checked up by doctors.
Pol Lt Gen Amporn said he could not confirm whether police investigators would finish questioning the demonstrators on Thursday.
Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward Party, gives a media interview over the arrests of demonstrators and the government's announcement of the emergency decree. (Photo: Pongpat Wongyala)