A key protest leader, Panupong Jardnok, alias Mike Rayong, was arrested by plain clothes police near Ramkhamhaeng University at about 8.30pm tonight.
Panupong, one of four prominent anti-establishment movement leaders, had eluded the police dragnet when the three other leaders were arrested, but he showed up this afternoon at Ramkhamhaeng University to address the protesters.
He then led a large group out of the campus toward Soi Udom Suk, near Bang Na intersection, where there was another large gathering. The protest was, however, called off before Panupong’s group reached the site.
The under-cover police, who had been following Panupong, made the arrest near Ramkhamhaeng Soi 53, as his group was dispersing, and took him to an undisclosed location.
Earlier, the Royal Gazette published an announcement, issued by National Police Chief, Pol Gen Suwat Jaengyodsook, designating a military barracks, in Muang district of the eastern province of Chon Buri, as another detention centre for arrested protesters, in addition to the barracks of Region 1 Border Patrol Police in Pathum Thani province.
The three other key protest leaders, who are already on remand while under investigation, are human rights lawyer Anont Nampa, Parit “Penguin” Chivarak and Ms. Panasaya Sitthijirawattanakul.
