Thai pop singer held over protests

One of the leaders of the Thai anti-government protests, which forced the cancellation of a major Asian summit, has been arrested.

Anti-government protest leader Arisman Pongreungrong is cheered as he and others march through the 14th ASEAN Convention Center on April12 2009.

Thai police have detained a former pop singer who led anti-government protests that reduced a showcase Asian summit to a shambles and exposed the nation to international embarrassment. The arrest came as the prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva vowed to take legal action against supporters of ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra who stormed the meeting in the beach resort of Pattaya. Security forces stood aside as the red-clad demonstrators swarmed into the venue yesterday, forcing authorities to evacuate foreign leaders by helicopter from the roof of the hotel.

"The police went to arrest Arisman Pongreungrong at his house (in Bangkok) on the charge of inciting protesters to kidnap the prime minister and cause unrest in the country," a police spokesman said. Cowboy-hatted Mr Arisman had stood atop a lorry outside the summit egging on thousands of demonstrators who smashed through glass doors and came within metres of Asian dignitaries as they ate lunch. The summit was being held to discuss the global financial crisis and North Korea's rocket launch, and Mr Abhisit had hoped it would demonstrate Thailand's recovery from years of often violent political turmoil.

Instead, the fiasco took Thailand's problems onto the international stage for the first time since protesters occupied Bangkok's two airports late last year, stranding hundreds of thousands of airline passengers. "I promise that in the next three to four days there will be legal action taken" against the protesters, Mr Abhisit said on television earlier today. He said he had met military officials to discuss the security failure.

Mr Thaksin's supporters have vowed to pursue their campaign until British-born Mr Abhisit, who came to power in December, stands down and calls elections. * AFP