(20 March) A prominent Redshirts activist has pressed charge against an anti-government news network for distributing a doctored photo of his group.

Mr. Suphon Attawong, who also serves as Deputy Secretary of the Prime Minister, was accompanied by his lawyer when he met with the police at Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok today.

The Redshirts leader complained that a group of anti-government critics a social network has altered a photo of him and his fellow Redshirts activists during a ceremony to inaugurate their newly formed group called National Volunteers for Defense of Democracy (NVDD). The photo was reportedly taken on 8 March this year.

In the doctored version of the photo the text on their banner had been changed to read "Red Separatist Force". The picture was later published on the social network sites of T-News, the TV station allied to anti-government protesters.

Mr. Suphon claimed that the altered photo has been mischievously designed to land him and his group under unwanted scrutiny from various military intelligence agencies, since anti-government protesters and high-ranking military officers had previously accused the Redshirts of attempting to secede northern and northeastern parts of Thailand.

To protect his group's reputation from the alleged smearing, Mr. Suphon has pressed charge against the TV station under Computer Crime Act, which criminalises the dissemination of false information on the internet. 

According to Mr. Suphon, the NVDD was established by Redshirts activists in 20 northeastern provinces to defend the Nation, the Religion, the Monarchy, and democracy.

"Let me stress that the NVDD does not organise any armed group as it has been alleged," Mr. Suphon told reporters, "We only arm our members with intellectual weapons". 

He also explained that the NVDD seeks to oppose, by non-violent means, any military coup against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra or any attempt to overthrow the government by undemocratic means. 

Mr. Suphon said his group has been recruiting new members since 8 March, and he expects that at least 200,000 Redshirts across the country will join the NVDD.

However, he insisted that the membership approval process will be strictly conducted by provincial committees of the NVDD to ensure that only applicants with desirable traits would be allowed to join the group. 

(19 March) Police say they have arrested two armed security guards of anti-government protests at checkpoints in Bangkok.

According to police reports, the first arrest took place last night on the Petchaburi Road, where police officers encountered the suspect riding in a taxi. When the officers searched the man, they reportedly found a number of firearms, ammunition, and homemade explosives.

The man, whose name was not released by the police, reportedly told the officers that he works as a volunteer guard for the People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD).

The suspect claimed he did not own the weapons, but was merely delivering them to his friend at the PCAD rally site in Lumpini Park.

At 10.00 today, the police announced the arrest of Mr. Panompai Chaengtawng, 43, who was found with a handguns and some ammunition at a police checkpoint in Wang Thong Lang district. 

One 9 mm. handgun, 73 handgun rounds, one radio equipment, one pair of handcuffs, and one flashlight were among the items the police reportedly found upon the search on his vehicle.

Mr. Panompai told police that he works as a temporary employee for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and also took up job as a volunteer guard for the PCAD security team.

Police charged both individuals with the unauthorised possession of firearms.

(19 March) The National Anti-Corruption Commission has launched an investigation into the claims that top governmental officials, including Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, are advocating a secessionist agenda.

Citing power under the 1999 Prevention and Suppression of Corruption Act, Mr. Sansern Polchiak, secretary-general of the NACC, announced the inquiry yesterday. 

According to Mr. Sansern, the NACC has received complaints that several Cabinet members such as Minister of Interior Affairs Jarupong Ruengsuwan and Deputy Minister of Commerce Nattawut Saikua have appeared on a rally stage alongside other Redshirts core activists in Nakhon Ratchasima province last month, where they allegedly called for "secessionist violence".

In the lengthy complaints received by the NACC, the activists have been accused of instigating violence, intimidating independent agencies and the court, campaigning for abolition of the 2007 Constitution, and calling for the Kingdom of Thailand to be separated into two entities. 

The Thai Constitution bans any attempt of separatism. 

As high-ranking officials, Mr. Jarupong and Mr. Nattawut might be guilty of negligence of their official duties which lead to grievous damage to the country due to their appearance on the stage, Mr. Sansern argued.

The investigation will also expand to include Ms. Yingluck, as the sec-gen of the NACC claimed that the Prime Minister deliberately refused to take any action against the Redshirts activists for their alleged separatist remarks. 

"As a commander [of the government], Ms. Yingluck has the power to suppress and investigate the facts about these actions, but even when the media had reported about the criminal acts, Ms. Yingluck has not proceeded to launch any fact-finding committee," Mr. Sansern complained.

Furthermore, Mr. Sansern charged that Ms. Yingluck is also serving as the Minister of Defence, responsible for exercising powers to protect the stability and security of the Kingdom from all threats, either internal or external, yet the Prime Minister has refused to take action against the Redshirts activists who are allegedly causing damage to the country and the people.

"Therefore, her inaction amounts to negligence of her duty which would cause damage to the nation, or the people, or the Ministry of Defence," Mr. Sansern concluded.

The NACC's decision is certainly bound to have angered many supporters of Ms. Yingluck, who have already viewed "independent bodies", such as the NACC, collaborators with anti-government protesters in their conspiracy to overthrow the elected government.

Prominent Redshirts activists have also denied the allegation that their leadership is seeking to secede any part of Thailand. 

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(18 March) A prominent Redshirt activist has admitted that he has been preparing an armed “underground” force to be mobilised in the event of a military coup.

An audio clip with the purported voice of Mr. Wuttipong Kochthammakul surfaced on the internet over the weekend. In the clip, Mr. Wuttipong could be heard discussing a plan to stage reprisal attacks against the military should the armed forces launch a coup against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Today Mr. Wuttipong, who is widely known by his nickname “Ko Tee”, acknowledged in an interview with our correspondent that the audio clip was genuine, and explained that he had been inspired to organise his own underground movements due to unfair treatment by the establishments toward Ms. Yingluck.

“All the so-called independent agencies are mobbing Ms. Yingluck. They want to deny her even a country to live in,” Mr. Wuttipong complained.

He also threatened to unleash these “rioter squads” if Ms. Yingluck is ever ousted from her caretaker position, but admitted that the underground force he has been preparing is still low on resources and manpower.

According to Mr. Wuttipong, some members have had to take loans from banks to help organise their local underground groups, and he estimated the total number of members at “several hundred”.

Nevertheless, the Redshirts activist is adamant that his small group is willing to “fight for democracy” should the need ever arise.

“On the day Ms. Yingluck is removed from her position, my group will immediately begin our operation,” Mr. Wuttipong warned, “Gunshots will ring throughout Bangkok. I want the establishment to think carefully before causing any further chaos”.

The Royal Thai Army has previously urged the Thai police to prosecute Mr. Wuttipong for his alleged role in the spate of political violence against anti-government protesters in recent months.

(18 March) The court has approved an arrest warrant on one of armed militants allied to anti-government protesters who engaged in a pre-election gun battle against pro-government protesters.

The militants emerged during clashes in the Laksi district of Bangkok, between the rival protesters on 1 February, one day before the general election.

A pair of gunmen were seen firing a weapon, concealed in a large popcorn bag, at pro-government protesters led by local Redshirts activists, earning themselves the nickname "Popcorn Gunmen".

The violence left a number of people injured, including one elderly man who was left paralysed after being hit by a bullet.

According to a police statement, the Criminal Court has approved the arrest warrant on one of the gunmen who manned the popcorn bag firearm.

The suspect, identified as Mr. Wiwat Yordprasit, is charged with attempted murder, unauthorised possession of firearms and ammunition, carrying firearms into residential area without due cause, and violating the emergency decree which bans the carrying of firearms in a public place.  

According to the statement by the Royal Thai Police the identities of three other gunmen are being sought by the police

(18 March) Anti-government protesters have called for inquiry into the latest lotto result which, they say, appears to be rigged in favour of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's supporters.

The protesters are outraged over the number 404, the last three digits of the official first prize number that was also considered as the winning number by the popular underground lotto business.

Media reports indicate that many of Ms. Yingluck’s supporters of have won handsomely by wagering on the number, chosen from the license plate of the official vehicle used by the caretaker Prime Minister when she arrived at a noodle shop in Chiang Mai province on Saturday.

Although top officials at the Government Lottery Office have insisted that the correlation between Ms. Yingluck and the lotto result is purely coincidental, anti-government protesters have claimed that the government might have rigged the lotto result to favour Ms. Yingluck's rural supporters.

To voice that suspicion, Mr. Issara Somchai, the core leader of the People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD), led his supporters to organise a rally in front of the Government Lottery Office today.

The protesters are marching in motorised convoy via Bang Sue Tollway.

Another convoy of PCAD protesters headed toward the residence of Mr. Jarupong Ruengsuwan, the Minister of Interior Affairs, at Soi Latprao 19. 

(17 March) Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army has expressed his contempt toward the appointment of the new Redshirts leader, going as far as branding him a "bandit".

Well-known Pheu Thai MP and longtime Redshirts activist, Mr. Jatupon Prompan, was appointed the new chairman of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) over the weekend, replacing Ms. Thida Thavornseth.

Mr. Jatupon's rise to the helm of the UDD apparently did not please Gen. Prayuth Chan-Ocha, who implied in a press conference that Mr. Jatupon, and his fellow Redshirts activists, will not be respected by the military, as they have previously committed unspecified crimes.

"I don't give any importance to these people or any of those who have committed illegal actions," Gen. Prayuth told reporters during his visit to Narathiwat province today.

He added, "It's not appropriate for an official [like me] to argue with bandits. If they want to be aggressive toward the military I will be aggressive too. I will not accept this".

The army chief also claimed he has no intentions of taking sides in politics, and said he did not want to "push the people" towards any particular side.

However, Gen. Prayuth went on to stress that he would likewise display the same hostility toward the anti-government protesters if they had organised separatist movements and insulted the Royal Family – thereby repeating the anti-government protesters' accusation that the UDD intends to secede some parts of Thailand, and that the Redshirts harbour an anti-monarchy attitude.

Asked by a reporter whether he would seek dialogue with Mr. Jatupon, Gen. Prayuth gave an emphatic no. "He doesn't have enough honour for me to correspond with him, he never shows any honour for anyone".

Gen. Prayuth also expressed his "pity" for the Redshirts for having "an immoral man" as their leader.

"Thai people must have their eyes opened," Gen. Prayuth said, "If they are not happy with something, they should file lawsuits and not criticise the monarchy, or the court, or the military".