BANGKOK, March 7, 2010 (AFP) - Thailand's anti-government "Red Shirt" protesters besieged a Bangkok police station after the arrest of a man who posted a YouTube video warning of violence in the capital, police said Sunday.
Around 200 supporters of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra -- mainly taxi drivers -- gathered in their vehicles outside the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) late Saturday in protest at the arrest of Phornwat Thongthanaboon, a CSD spokesman said.
Thai media said an arrest warrant was issued for Phornwat on charges of attempting to cause unrest and panic after he appeared in a YouTube video predicting bombs and unrest after last month's verdict on Thaksin's fortune.
A court seized 1.4 billion dollars of the ousted premier's assets on February 26. The next day, four grenades were fired at branches of the biggest Thai bank, two of which detonated causing damage but no casualties.
The "Red Shirts" now say they expect hundreds of thousands of anti-government demonstrators to gather in the capital on March 14.
The movement's leaders insist the rallies will be peaceful, although Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told Thai radio Saturday that intelligence reports indicated the possibility of a sabotage during the protests.
Phornwat, known as K Thong, is a close associate of Major General Khattiya Sawasdipol, an outspoken Thaksin loyalist and suspended senior army officer, who was charged last month with illegal arms possession after he was suspected of being linked to an attack on the national army headquarters.
Phornwat was found hiding in the back of Khattiya's van in the CSD compound along with seven pistols, 47 cartridges and a knife, the Bangkok Post reported.
"K Thong and Khattiya are at the CSD now. The investigating team arrived this morning," the CSD spokesman said, although he would not confirm the reported details of the arrest.
He said Khattiya faces a further charge of hiding his associate K Thong, who appeared on Thai TV Sunday denying the allegations against him.
Bangkok police also said Sunday that they had arrested a 23-year-old student suspected of the bank grenade attacks, but would not give further information.
Supporters of Thaksin, who was deposed in a 2006 coup and now lives abroad to escape a jail term for corruption, are holding a series of meetings beginning Sunday to motivate protesters across the country.
