THAILAND - Metropolitan Police commissioner Lt General Worapong Chiewpreecha on Friday indicated that police were preparing to ask for the court-approved warrants to round up red shirt leaders, including fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Worapong said Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban, who is in Pattaya, had just called him to check into the progress ot issuing the arrest warrants.

He said the warrants would be based on charges relating to inciting insurrection and causing disturbances. --THE NATION, ANN