The Caravan of the Poor gathers at Bang Na police station waiting for ‘Kom Chad Luek’ newspaper executives to file a complaint against them. Leaders of the group later filed a libel charge against the newspaper.

Caravan leaders Khamta Kaenbunjan and Atthawit Singkor filed the complaint against Kom Chad Luek at Bang Na police station yesterday evening.

Earlier in the day, police surrounded NMG's Bang Na headquarters, forming a blockade at the main gate, after rumours circulated that the Caravan of the Poor intended to besiege the building a second time.

Last Thursday, about 2,000 members of the caravan descended on the company's headquarters, effectively isolating the newsrooms of NMG's three major daily newspapers.

The protesters alleged that Kom Chad Luek's publication of remarks by senior People's Alliance for Democracy figure Sondhi Limthongkul constituted lese majesty. They demanded a retraction and the newspaper's closure for 30 days.

After negotiations between the two sides, Kom Chad Luek promised to cease publication for five days in total and to accept responsibility for its error in publishing the remarks.

On Monday, Kom Chad Luek published an article accusing the protesters of threatening Nation Group staff, and lodged a police complaint against the protesters.

Police were alerted yesterday after hundreds of members of the caravan left their base at Chatuchak Park and headed for Bang Na.

Instead of encircling the Nation building, however, the protesters met with police at Bang Na station.

Khamta denied threatening NMG staff and insisted there had been no aggression from its members during last week's protest.

"We reached an agreement with Kom Chad Luek last Thursday.

"The newspaper confirmed it had interviewed Sondhi Limthongkul and agreed to cease publication for a total of five days," he said.

"We are displeased with Kom Chad Luek's reporting. Even if the newspaper hadn't filed a complaint about us, we would have filed a libel suit against them because we want the truth from them," he said.

Meanwhile, the Assembly of the Poor yesterday presented a bouquet to the Kom Chad Luek editorial team and called on the embattled newspaper to continue to stand up for the people.

The group, which has been actively campaigning on democratic, agricultural and environmental issues for more than a decade, distanced itself from the Caravan of the Poor.

"People have confused us with the Caravan of the Poor because some people have left our group to work for the Caravan," said Chaiphan Prapasawat, a member of the Assembly of the Poor.