11 UDD protesters detained for road blockage

BANGKOK, 27 April 2010 (NNT) – The Thanyaburi Court has ordered detention of 11 anti-government protesters in connection with an attempt to blockade Phahonyothin Road in Pathum Thani province.

Security forces this afternoon successfully dispersed a group of supporters of the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), who were attempting to close off Phahonyothin Road in front of the entrance to Dhammakaya Temple in Khlong Luang district, Pathum Thani province. A total of 11 perpetrators were apprehended and were shortly afterwards escorted to the Thanyaburi Court for prosecution.

According to the court’s ruling, all of them were charged with breaching the emergency decree, which bans gatherings of five or more people to instigate social unrest, and also with obstructing the traffic. The court sentenced them to 15-day detention without suspension and denied their bail requests. Each of the detainees could face imprisonment of no more than 2 years or a fine of no more than 40,000 THB or both.

The anti-government UDD has recently begun staging road closures in many provinces in an effort to prevent police and military officers from traveling to join the rumored crowd dispersal operation against the protesters at Ratchaprasong Junction in Bangkok.