Thai Police Arrest Anti-Government Protest Leader

A police spokesman confirmed the arrest but gave no details.

Thai police arrested one of the nine leaders of a long-running anti-government campaign on Friday on charges of inciting unrest and trying to overthrow the elected administration.

Chaiwat Sinsuwong, a central figure in the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), was detained near his home after he left the Government House compound that has been under occupation by PAD protesters for more than a month, a movement spokesman said.

"He is in police custody now. We have sent a lawyer to see him and we will decide among the PAD leaders this evening what to do next," Suriyasai Katasila told Reuters.

A police spokesman confirmed the arrest but gave no details.

A court issued warrants for the arrest of nine PAD leaders on Aug. 27, the day after thousands of protesters briefly broke into government ministries and a state television station before overrunning the prime minister's official compound.

New Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat has tried to open negotiations with the PAD, who accuse him of being a political proxy for his brother-in-law, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was removed in a 2006 military coup.

However, no real talks have started and there is little prospect of the PAD, which claims to be acting in the name of revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, leaving Government House any time soon.

After a meeting with the opposition leader and parliamentary leaders on Friday, Somchai said all sides had agreed on the idea of reforming the constitution drawn up by the army after the 2006 coup as a possible way out of the current stalemate.

Any such process would be likely to take many months.