The Criminal Court decided today to extend the detention of two monarchy reformists until March 20, on the grounds that further detention is necessary to allow the police to question additional witnesses.

This is the third extension approved by the court for Tantawan Tuatulanon and Natthanon Chaimahabutra, who are charged with violating Section 116 of the Criminal Code when they allegedly disrupted the motorcade of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on an expressway in Bangkok by honking their car horn.

The court did, however, remind the police that they must speed up their interrogation of witnesses and complete it within this extended detention period.

Their defence lawyer, Krisadang Nutcharat of the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, submitted a petition to the court objecting the police request to have his clients detained further.

Meanwhile, well known social critic Sulak Sivaraksa, and independent journalist Atukkit Sawangsuk, submitted a statement through their representative objecting the further detention of the two suspects, claiming that they are only suspects who have not yet been indicted.

They claim that their alleged offence was merely a case of ideological conflict and that they are entitled to bail, which a basic right for criminal suspects, adding that the two have no record of trying to flee.