Asia-Pacific

Thai police to arrest yellow-shirt intruders

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-01-27 17:08

BANGKOK- Nationalistic "yellow-shirt" People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters will be arrested if they intrude into Government House, police said on Thursday.

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Pol Maj-Gen Piya Uthayo, Metropolitan Police spokesman, said police would arrest any protesters who force their way into Government House or other government institutions, Bangkok Post online reported.

Any intrusion would be recorded on video and used as evidence in court, he said.

The plan was drawn up after a PAD co-leader Chamlong Srimuang warned the group would step up its activities if the PAD's demands were not met.

In May 2008, PAD began street protests on a road near the Government House, and on August 26 it seized Government House and the state-run National Broadcasting Television, to pressure the late Samak Sundaravej, then prime minister alleged proxy of ousted PM Thaksin Shinnawatra, to resign.

Piya said a large number of people had telephoned to complain about traffic problems caused by the protesters.

About 150 traffic policemen had been deployed to help traffic flow around the protest site. Negotiations with the protesters to keep the road at least partly open had not been successful so far, he said.

The PAD has staged a rally in front of the Government House since Tuesday to protest against the Abhisit Vejjajiva government's alleged mishandling of the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute.