The Judiciary:
The Civil Court on Wednesday night ordered the People’s Alliance For Democracy (PAD) to immediately move out of Government House and its grounds. Nine PAD leaders also face arrest.
The Police:
“I’m pleading with you to leave Government House. I do not want to call this an ultimatum. It is a plea,” said Pol Gen Kowit.
The PAD:
“If we move out of here, it means that we are losing. I believe if we continue protesting here for another three or four days, the government itself will fall.”
The Government:
“Before sunset, security forces will be deployed to force the protesters out of Government House. “It must end today. It cannot continue,”
THE FULL STORY FROM THE BANGKOK POST IS REPRINTED BELOW:
PAD, get out of Govt House
Latest The Civil Court on Wednesday night ordered the People’s Alliance For Democracy (PAD) to immediately move out of Government House and its grounds. Nine PAD leaders also face arrest.
The Civil Court acted on the request of the Secretariat of the Prime Minister.
The arrest warrants were approved by the Criminal Court on four charges, including treason.
The PM’s secretariat yesterday filed a complaint with the Civil Court seeking an urgent hearing of an application for a temporary injunction to disperse the PAD protesters.
National police chief Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwan said PAD leaders would be informed immediately of the Civil Court’s order.
Police late last night deployed ambulances and vehicles loaded with riot police shields and batons near Government House.
Samran Rodpetch, a key PAD member, announced the court order to the supporters late last night, but urged them to stay put. They did not leave.
Termsak Jarupran, said the PAD respected the order but appealed to the court to allow them to stay inside the compound of Government House to fulfil their mission to topple the government.
The PAD began its siege of Government House on Tuesday, saying it was the “last whistle blow” in its effort to unseat Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.
In the complaint lodged by Loyluen Bunnag, deputy secretary-general to the prime minister, the PM’s secretariat asked the Civil Court to order all PAD demonstrators to leave Government House and remove all their belongings.
Even though the PAD claimed the right to protest under Article 63 of the constitution, its occupation of Government House prevented officials and cabinet members from performing their duties, the complaint said.
The PAD rally, which involved raids on several government agencies including the state-run NBT television station, had caused inconvenience to the public at large.
The complaint said the PAD’s campaign was seen as an instigation of civil unrest and was therefore a threat to national security.
It said Government House had been earmarked as the venue for an official function “116 Days: From Mothers’ Day to Fathers’ Day” this Saturday.
The Criminal Court yesterday issued warrants for the arrest of nine PAD leaders, who face four serious charges including treason.
Named in the warrants were PAD core members Sondhi Limthongkul, Maj-Gen Chamlong Srimuang, Somsak Kosaisuk, Pibhop Dhongchai, Somkiat Pongpaiboon, PAD coordinator Suriyasai Katasila, and key allies Amorn Amornrattananont, Chaiwat Sinsuwong and Therdphum Jaidee.
They are accused of using violence to incite unrest and to overthrow the government, conspiracy to commit treason, unlawful assembly to cause public disturbance, and of resisting police orders to disperse. Mr Somkiat, a Democrat list-MP, cannot be arrested because he has parliament immunity while the House is in session.
The PAD leaders led tens of thousands of demonstrators to storm Government House on Tuesday in their stepped-up campaign to force Mr Samak out of office.
Following the issuing of the warrants, Mr Samak ordered the authorities to disperse PAD demonstrators from Government House grounds before sunset.
“Before sunset, security forces will be deployed to force the protesters out of Government House. “It must end today. It cannot continue,” said Mr Samak, according to government spokesman Wichienchote Sukchoterat.
Authorities would first try to talk the demonstrators into leaving the compound, and that “drastic measures” would be taken if state property was damaged.
About 1,000 police were deployed outside the compound of Government House. About 100 were said to have infiltrated the crowd of demonstrators.
However, late last night the PAD protesters were still there and police had taken no forceful action.
Interior Minister Kowit Wattana and police yesterday pleaded with the PAD leaders to turn themselves in and leave Government House voluntarily.
“I’m pleading with you to leave Government House. I do not want to call this an ultimatum. It is a plea,” said Pol Gen Kowit.
Pol Maj-Gen Suporn Pansua, spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said police tried to encourage the PAD leaders to turn themselves in.
The PAD leaders remained inside Government House after the warrants were issued and challenged police to arrest them there. They vowed not to flee and were surrounded by thousands of supporters on the lawn of Government House. Women and children sat in rows at the gates to prevent police from storming the compound.
Maj-Gen Chamlong said he was ready to be arrested and told the protesters to open the way if the police showed up.
Whether or not the arrest warrants were executed, he wanted the protesters to continue the siege until the Samak government stepped down.
“If we move out of here, it means that we are losing. I believe if we continue protesting here for another three or four days, the government itself will fall.”
Earlier report:
By BangkokPost.com
The Civil Court issued an injunction for the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) to move out of the Government House as well as areas around Phitsanulok and Ratchadamnoen roads late Wednesday.
The order is effective immediately and until further notice.
The injunction was handed down shortly after 10pm, after the court questioned three witnesses representing the government.
Early Wednesday, government lawyer Methee Jaisamut petitioned the Civil Court to order the PAD to remove all their stages and belongings out of the Government House and unblock nearby traffic lanes.
According to the petition, state officials could not go to work at the government compound, and commuters could not use the roads occupied the anti-government group.
The court also ruled that the PAD violated article 63 of the charter because they did not gather in peace and without arms. The group also caused damage to people and properties and their activities were inciting unrest in the country.
People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), meanwhile, said they accepted the court’s order with respect, but would like to ask for some sympathy from the court.
The group vowed to remain at the compound of the Government House and wait for the new day in order to appeal against the injunction.
