PDRC vs. the Dubai boss: Cat & mouse game

Chalerm & top police cook up cunning plans to arrest hard to catch core anti-government leaders peacefully without violence or loss of life.

CRIME 

Police finally nab Sonthiyan

It took a cunning plan to arrest a rally leader

17/02/2014

Wassayos Ngamkham

The arrest of Sonthiyan Chuenruthainaitham came after three previous aborted bids to catch him and other anti-government co-leaders. [ cat and mouse game ]

After weeks of elaborate planning, police captured Mr Sonthiya at the Central Plaza shopping mall in Bangkok on Feb 10. It was the first arrest of a People’s Democratic Reform Committee core leader.

Mr Sonthiyan was arrested without incident or violence. He was immediately remanded in police custody although the Civil Court has since allowed him to be released under the emergency decree and on a charge of insurrection.

The arrest operation was overseen by Pol Lt Gen Winai Thongsong, the assistant police chief, who is also nephew-in-law of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

A small office — intended for examining the legality of and preparing for the prosecution of the anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) leaders — was opened in the command building of the Royal Thai Police Office. The unit is headed by Pol Lt-Gen Winai himself and its office is beside his.

Pol Lt Gen Winai said he knew Mr Sonthiyan personally. He is the "brain" of the protest with exceptional coordination skills.

Mr Sonthiyan was on the police radar as he is the PDRC core leader who spent most of the time outside the protest areas. He was easier than most other leaders to catch.

Plans were made, prior to Mr Sonthiyan’s capture, to nab key PDRC figures.

On Dec 26 last year, caretaker Labour Minister Chalerm Yubamrung — who the government entrusted to lay down strategy for the round-up operation — made plans to move in and arrest the most-wanted PDRC secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban. He was out having lunch with several anti-government leaders in Sao Chingcha near the Democracy Monument rally site that day. Mr Suthep was under heavy escort by guards.

Mr Chalerm called for a meeting of the top-ranking police officers at the RTPO. The officers were informed of the mission to arrest Mr Suthep even if there were clashes and "losses". The order for a showdown was remotely issued from Dubai, a police source said.

The Samranrat police office was converted into a temporary centre for assembling the elite Arintharat and Sayob Pairee forces. They were ready for the operation.

Mr Chalerm asked police chief Adul Saengsingkaew to meet him and approve the dispatch of officers. However, Pol Gen Adul refused to see him and instead ordered Pol Lt Gen Winai to attend the meeting.

But after listening to the Suthep capture plan, Pol Lt Gen Winai backed down, fearing loss of life, which would send the situation spinning out of control, the source said.

Mr Chalerm was less than pleased that no one stepped forward and signed the dispatch order.

The source added Pol Lt Gen Winai had promised Mr Chalerm he would explain his decision to the Dubai boss himself.

A second attempt to nab anti-government leaders came on the night of Dec 30 when intelligence officers had reported two leading figures of the Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand (NSPRT) were leaving the Nang Loeng rally venue.

Pol Lt Gen Winai immediately assigned Pol Lt Gen Suchart Theerasawat, a commissioner attached to the RTPO, to take charge of bringing in Nitithorn Lamlua and Uthai Yodmanee.

Pol Lt Gen Suchart selected plain clothes policemen based in the far South for the operation. To prevent information leaks he did not deploy officers from other units.

The officers were driven in five cars which quietly followed the vehicle in which Mr Nitithorn was travelling. The team probably broke their cover and Mr Nitithorn became aware he was being pursued. He abruptly headed back to the rally site and Mr Uthai also stayed put.

On Jan 9, police had assessed that the crowd at the NSPRT protest stage was down to about 300 people, which gave the authorities the opportunity they were looking for to disperse the protesters and make a swoop on their leaders.

The green light was secured from Dubai to conduct the dispersal. The national police chief and Pol Lt Gen Winai attended a meeting to direct the operation. Again, Pol Lt Gen Winai disagreed with breaking up the protest at the time out of concern for the safety of police and protesters.

Police thought some protesters might be armed and could fight back.

Pol Lt Gen Winai said undercover police were able to get close to even Mr Suthep. They had their photos taken with him without the protest leader knowing their identities.

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