Nine leaders of an anti-government protest in Thailand that turned violent and resulted in hundreds of injuries may be detained for up to 48 days without charge, police said yesterday.
The nine suspects from the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship were detained on Thursday after they appeared in court to hear police allegations against them, including causing a public disturbance, damaging state property, and injuring officials.
"It is a detention order and the police need to finish investigation within 48 days before forwarding the case to the attorney general's office," said police Colonel Supisan Pakdeenarunart, a Bangkok metropolitan police spokesman.
Most of the nine are leading members of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's now disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party. Thaksin was ousted in September in a bloodless coup.
Police can detain the suspects for 48 days without formally charging them, but the police must apply for extensions every 12 days during that period. Once the 48 days are up, police will have to either forward the case to the attorney general's office for review. The attorney general can then ask the courts to extend the detention, or release them, Supisan said.
"We need to continue detaining them so if they request bail, we will object on the ground that the suspects would cause further trouble and instigate more violence if they are set free," Bangkok police chief Lieutenant General Adisorn Nontree said.
Violence broke out last Sunday at a rally by several thousand people outside the home of former prime minister Prem Tinsulanonda -- the chief adviser to revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The protesters accuse Prem of instigating the coup against Thaksin, and have called for him to resign his post.
About 200 police officers and 70 protesters were hurt, most with minor injuries.
Some officials have blamed Sunday's violence on Thaksin, who has been accused of financing the anti-coup movement.
Thaksin denies such allegations, and earlier this week issued a call for peace and reconciliation.
Prasong Soonsiri, who serves as the chief of the Constitution Drafting Committee, said on Thursday that those organizing the recent protests against the military-backed government want to cause bloody riots that will receive publicity overseas to give the impression that the new leadership in Thailand is brutal and authoritarian.
The Thai military ousted Thaksin on Sept. 19, 2006, while he was abroad, accusing him of corruption and abuse of power.
It installed an interim government and a council to draft a new constitution, which will be submitted for a national referendum next month.
A general election is supposed to be held in December.
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