Nakhon Ratchasima MP among the wanted; Bt1 million reward on offer
Police yesterday promised a total of Bt1 million (~$US29,000) in reward for information about the whereabouts of 20 red-shirt co-leaders wanted for instigating mayhem at the Interior Ministry last Sunday, causing damages to the prime minister's motorcade and wounding security officials.
"Of the 20 suspects, the lead instigator is former MP Suporn Attawong from Nakhon Ratchasima," Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lt-General Worapong Chiewpreecha said.
Tip-off leading to the arrest of each suspect is worth Bt50,000.
Regarding the decision to shut down certain community radio stations upcountry, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva defended his government's decision, saying the broadcasts were designed to incite riots.
He said the broadcasting licenses were not revoked because of having a differing view. He also denied double standards in dealing with the yellow shirts and red shirts.
The legal wrangling involving the yellow shirts will be decided by a judicial review in the same manner as the legal proceedings involving the red shirts, he said.
He denied that authorities applied a different standard in issuing arrest warrants, pointing out that rally organisers, be they red-shirted or yellow-shirted, would be arrested if they refused to report themselves to police or repeated the offences during the legal proceedings.
He admitted that police probe into the yellow shirts appeared to have made no headway and that his government had already instructed for a speedy conclusion of police reports on cases relating to the political turmoil.
In a move seen as an attempt to speed up the police work relating to the turmoil, National Police chief General Patcharawat Wongsuwant picked his deputy General Thani Somboonsap to take charge, replacing General Jongrak Juthanont.
Meanwhile, the Lamphun Provincial Court approved arrest warrants for six red-shirt co-leaders, including Pheu Thai MP Staporn Maneerat, over riots.
The six were charged with imposing blockades at three main roads to disrupt traffic to the northern province.
The suspects said they would today report to the police in good faith.
In a separate development, the three red-shirt co-leaders in Chiang Mai are planning to surrender on charges relating to causing disturbances.
The three, including Koh Rak Chiang Mai 51 leader Phetchawat Watanapongsirikul, said they needed time to raise Bt3.5 million each for bail ahead of the surrender.
Meanwhile, red-shirt co-leader Jatuporn Phrompan said he had just had a telephone conversation with ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra on Saturday.
He quoted Thaksin as saying that the Songkran mayhem, such as the torching of buses, were done not by the red shirts but the blue shirts, who are state officials in disguise to wreak havoc and pin the blame on the red shirts.
He accused Abhisit of picking on the red shirts while neglecting to enforce the law on the yellow shirts.
Should the government fail to ensure fairness in dealing with the rival camps, more than 300,000 red shirts stand ready to surrender and face charges, he said.
Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said the government had to match its promise for justice with action.
The main opposition party received some 52 complaints relating to the anti-riot operation, he said, claiming the casualties included 23 wounded, seven missing and two deaths.
He said his party will forward the complaints for further probe by the police, the Department of Special Investigation and the House Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
Democrat MP Thepthai Senpong said the main opposition party was exaggerating the casualties from the anti-riot operation for political gains.
Thepthai called for a halt to the spread of disinformation about the casualties.
He said Jatuporn might not be able to avail himself of parliamentary immunity in order to elude his arrest warrant as the House will recess within a few weeks.
Democrat Party spokesman Buranat Samutharak said his main coalition party was concerned the red shirts might try to become the underground movement.
Buranat said a number of Pheu Thai MPs, including chief opposition whip Withaya Buranasiri, have threatened to take the underground route. He said he was particularly concerned about Withaya's remarks that the violence will spread over 73 provinces similar to the unrest in the three southernmost provinces.
He said ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra had contracted a lobbyist company to fan the disinformation campaign.
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