A co-leader of a pro-election group has been arrested in front of his house in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao district as others vow to go ahead with their weekly rally at the Democracy Monument on Saturday.
Ekkachai Hongkangwan, one of the activists identified by police as a co-leader of the Jan 27 gathering on the BTS skywalk, was on an arrest warrant after he failed to report to police on Thursday.
Like 39 others who were summoned to report themselves earlier this week, Mr Ekkachai was charged with violating the public assembly law and the junta’s order banning gathering of more than five people.
But since he was identified by police as a co-leader, along with four others, he was also charged with sedition under the Criminal Code, a more serious crime under the jurisdiction of the military court.
Following the arrest on Saturday morning, Mr Ekkachai was taken to the Lat Phrao police station before being sent to the Pathumwan police station, which handles the case.
A nonchalant Ekkachai told reporters while holding a three-finger salute, a reference to freedom in the Hunger Games movie, that police had waited for him in front of his house since 7am.
He said he only received only one police summons -- police normally send two summons before asking the court for an arrest warrant. He also denied all the charges as he had done nothing wrong and did not even address the crowd during the rally.
Mr Ekkachai was also in the news earlier when he kept trying to give Gen Prawit Wongsuwon cheap watches to make his point about the deputy prime minister’s scandal.
Sirawich "Ja New" Serithiwat, another co-leader who did not report to police on Thursday, also wrote on his Facebook he did not receive any police summons and pledged to continue with the planned rally at 4pm on Saturday.
Pol Col Pitak Sitthikul, commander of the Chana Songkhram police station, said on Saturday afternoon he deployed 200 policemen to man the Democracy Monument ahead of the protest in the evening. He also said the use of loudspeakers would not be allowed.
Video by Prachatai Facebook
