(10 March) Two soldiers have been arrested as they attempted to smuggle several firearms and nearly 2,000 rounds of ammunition into an anti-government protest rally site, police said.

Sergeant Pitsanu Fuengrung and Corporal Nattawut Choedsoongnoen were arrested as they attempted to drive their vehicle past a police checkpoint on Langsuan Road at around 23.00 last night. They were headed toward the anti-government campsite in Lumpini Park, police officers said.

Upon the inspection of their vehicle, police reportedly uncovered one 11 mm. handgun, one M16 rifle, one M4A1 rifle, and nearly 1,000 ammunition for the rifles. 

Both soldiers are servicemen of the 2nd Infantry Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, which is based in Lopburi province, according to their Army ID cards.

The arrest came at the time when many pro-government activists accused the Thai military of providing tacit support to the anti-government protests led by the People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD).

A number of servicemen of the Royal Thai Navy have been previously arrested with firearms and ammunition near PCAD rally sites over the last few weeks. The Navy says the investigation is ongoing, and denies that its forces are supporting the PCAD in any way.

Maj.Gen. Warah Bunyasidh, a commander of the Royal Thai Army, admitted that Sgt. Pitsanu and Cpl. Nattawut are active members of the armed forces. 

He promised a full cooperation with the police to prosecute the arrested soldiers. "I must admit that I'm troubled to know that some soldiers take up such jobs," Maj.Gen. Warah said, "We won't protect them. However, regulations required that officers from the Judge Advocate General's Corps must be present during the police interrogation".

Maj.Gen. Warah refused to speculate the motives of the soldiers, stating that he is waiting for the authorities to conclude their investigation, but he insisted that the weapons the suspects carried were not issued by the military.

"I believe they bought the weapons themselves and took up private assignments," Maj.Gen Warah explained.

(7 March) The court has approved arrest warrant on a core leader of the anti-government movement for his alleged attempt to torture and murder a pro-government supporter.

The move came after a security guard of an autoparts company named Mr. Yuem Nilla was found with his feet and hands bound together in Bang Pakong River. 

Mr. Yuem later said he was detained and tortured by a group of anti-government protest "guards" in Lumpini Park after they searched him and uncovered a membership card of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD).

According to Mr. Yuem, after several days of detention, the guards tied his feet and hands, and dumped him to die in Bang Pakong River in Chachoengsao province, just east of Bangkok, but a group of locals narrowly saved him from drowning.

Mr. Yuem identified Mr. Issara Somchai, a core leader of the People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD), as the man who ordered his torture and his subsequent execution. 

Today, Chachoengsao Provincial Court has approved arrest warrants of Mr. Issara and 5 other "guards" under his command on 5 charges, including attempted premeditated murder, unlawful detention leading to grievous harms, and physical assaults. 

Pol.Col. Kiattisak Srathong-On, a commander of police in Chachoengsao province, said the officers are working to identify Mr. Issara's accomplices by CCTV footage and other evidences to prosecute the suspects.

Meanwhile, Pol.Col. Sirikul Srisanga, spokeswoman of the Police Hospital, where Mr. Yuem is currently admitted, told our correspondent that the victim still needs to breath through tube in his lung, as the organ has been damaged in the alleged torture.

"He is occasionally exhausted, and he is hurt when he moves himself on the bed," Pol.Col. Sirikul said. 

Related Story: Redshirt 'Beaten And Left To Die' By PCAD Guards

(7 March) After several shadowy attacks targeted at her family members, an anti-government activist has announced a "break" from political campaigns.

Ms. Taya Teepsuwan cited the recent gunfire and grenade attacks on her residence, her mother's holiday residence, and the school owned by her family as the reasons for her decision.

Ms. Taya and her husband, Nataphol Teepsuwan, have been active core activists of the People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD).

Her mother's residence in Nakhon Ratchasima was sprayed with over 100 rounds of gunfire by unidentified assailants last week. Ms. Sasima Teepsuwan was said to be present in the house at the time, but no injury was reported.

Unknown individuals also hurled grenades twice into Ms. Taya's property in downtown Bangkok. 

The spate of attacks occured after Ms. Taya and her husband heckled the ex-wife of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in an upscale shopping mall in Bangkok. The police have made no arrest in connection with the cases so far.

"The violent incidents … were results of my [political] actions. I regret for all those who were affected, and I am really worried for safety of those close to me," Ms. Taya said in a Facebook post today.

"After taking time to consider all this, I decide to express my responsibility by taking a break from political movements," she added, "I hope this decision will protect my mother and people close to me".

Relayed Story: PCAD Grenade Attack A False Flag Operation: CMPO

(3 March) The official Facebook page of the prominent anti-government monk activist has removed a post which asserts that the court supported his rally in Chaeng Wattana Road.

In the now-deleted post, either Buddha Issara or one of his close aides claimed that the monk has been contacted by an unnamed "secretary of the courts", who reportedly begged the protesters not to abandon their rally site around the Government Complex on Chaeng Wattana Road, where a number of judicial agencies are housed.

According to the post, the judicial official expressed his or her worry that pro-government protesters might arrive at the road and use the area to organise prolonged rallies against the courts, as the Redshirts have besieged the office of National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) in Nonthaburi province last week.

"The courts have asked us to stay until they have concluded their trials on the government faction," the Facebook page alleged.

The remark was posted at the time when the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is due to face a number of verdicts from the courts and other judicial bodies.

For instance, the constitutionality of her 2.2 trillion baht infrastructure overhaul project is slated to be decided by the Constitutional Court next week, while the NACC is currently pursuing a separate investigation into the alleged corruption in her administration.

The post also anger many supporters of the government, who have long accused the judicial powers of conspiring with anti-government protesters to oust Ms. Yingluck. 

Several hours later, after the post was widely circulated on the social network and reported on a number of media outlets, Buddha Issara's Facebook team removed it and claimed that the post was published due to misunderstanding.

"The Admin has published it without authorisation due to misunderstanding," the statement says, "The contents were neither approved nor fact-checked by Luang Phu"

The statement also urged those who have shared the controversial post to delete it.  

Asked about the incident, Mr. Atichote Pondee, deputy secretary-general of the Administrative Court, admitted that the court has sent officials to meet with Buddha Issara, but he insisted that their intention was to ask the protesters to clear a path around the Administrative Court for an important ruling on 7 March, which is expected to attract many observers and reporters.

"We told them so they won't be surprised to see so many people on that day," Mr. Atichote said.

He also denied the claim that the courts have asked Buddha Issara to maintain his rally site on Chaeng Wattana Road.

"The courts would never intrude into that matter. I suppose the staff were joking at each other," Mr. Atichote told our correspondent, "No matter what group comes to rally, the court will facilitate their convenience equally. We will provide care to both sides equally".

The deputy sec-gen added that he has been informed by the Constitutional Court office that they have not dispatched any official to meet with Buddha Issara as claimed by his Facebook post.

"The post was likely caused by misunderstand among his staff," Mr. Atichote insisted.