Protest leader to appeal against arrest warrant

BANGKOK, November 26 (TNA) - A core leader of street protesters and a former member of parliament (MP) of Thailand's main opposition Democrat Party, Suthep Thaugsuban, who is also a former Democrat deputy prime minister, will file a complaint to appeal against an arrest warrant, sought against him by police and approved by Bangkok's Criminal Court on Tuesday. Thaworn Senneam, a law expert and also a former Democrat MP, told reporters that Suthep's lawyer will submit an appeal to the police on November 27. Thaworn said that Suthep will not surrender to the police, stressing if the police want to arrest Suthep, they must apprehend him at his protesting site. Thaworn revealed the appeal to be filed by Suthep will state that Suthep has a permanent residence and has no plan to escape the arrest. The Criminal Court approved the arrest warrant against Suthep earlier in the day for inciting unrest and leading more than 10 people to intrude into government offices and have assembled there since November 25. Meanwhile, officials of four ministries, including the Ministries of Tourism and Sports, Interior, Transport and Energy, as well as PTT Public Company Limited (PTT), Thailand’s largest energy firm, left for home early Tuesday, following reports that the anti-government protesters would march to seize their offices, in an apparent defiance of the enforcement of the Internal Security Act (ISA) having been extended to all areas in Bangkok and specific adjacent areas as of Monday evening. On Monday, the protesters first seized the Finance Ministry, in which the Bureau of the Budget is also located, the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Public Relations Department. (TNA)