Thai court approves arrest warrant for protest leader

Arrest warrants have been announced for three Thai anti-government protesters who interfered advance voting on Jan. 26, including a People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) leader. Thai Criminal Court has approved arrest warrants for PDRC leader Issara Somchai, a man known as "Little Saddam", and another man who was photographed trying to strangle a man who had tried to cast his vote on Jan. 26. The court later on Wednesday would decide whether to arrest other 19 anti-government protest leaders, including Suthep Thaugsuban, a PDRC top leader, reported Bangkok Post on Saturday. Protesters are advancing efforts to prevent the preparation for the Feb. 2 election by blocking the delivery of ballots to polling stations in numerous areas in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Krabi, Trang, Songkhla, Phuket and Phatthalung and Bangkok, among others. Six people were injured during clashes between pro-government supporters, known as the red shirts, and protesters led by the PDRC outside the Lak Si district office in Bangkok late Saturday afternoon. The Election Commission then decided to cancel voting at all 158 polling stations in Lak Si district following the failure in delivering ballots. A new election will be organized later in the district.