Thai court issues arrest warrant for anti-coup group spokesman

Thailand’s military court has issued an arrest warrant for the spokesman of an anti-coup group over alleged arms offences, an accusation firmly rejected by the former minister. The warrant against Jakrapob Penkair, a prominent member of the ‘Red Shirt’ movement affiliated to the government ousted by the military in May, follows the launch of an opposition alliance to counter the junta. The ‘Organisation of Free Thais for Human Rights and Democracy’ (FT-HD) has vowed to press for the restoration of democratic rule from an as yet undisclosed Western country as attempts to take on the regime within Thailand are stifled. ‘The military court Friday night issued arrest warrants for four people, including Jakrapob, for links with war weapons seized in Thailand during the past month,’ deputy national police chief Somyot Poompanmoung told AFP on Sunday.