Thai protesters intensify campaign to bring down government

Thousands of protesters surrounded Thailand's interior ministry and forced the evacuation of four others yesterday, intensifying their campaign to bring down the government of Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

The protesters defied a tough security law imposed late on Monday, after they had stormed two other ministries, to control demonstrations against Ms Yingluck and her billionaire brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Suthep Thaugsuban, the protest leader and a former deputy prime minister under the previous government, urged supporters to mount more blockades of government buildings today, not only in Bangkok but across the country.

“Go to every ministry and make sure they are all surrounded, so they can no longer work for the Thaksin regime,” Mr Suthep told tens of thousands of flag-waving protesters in a late-night speech at the finance ministry they have occupied.

Confidence debate
As crowds swelled on the streets, Ms Yingluck and her ruling Puea Thai Party were locked in a two-day confidence debate in parliament where they hold a commanding majority. The opposition has accused them of corruption and trying to pass laws to whitewash Thaksin of a graft conviction.

Civil servants fled as groups of demonstrators surrounded the interior, agriculture, tourism and transport ministries in blockades that have plunged Thailand into its deepest political uncertainty since it was convulsed by the bloodiest unrest in a generation in 2010.

“Getting rid of the Thaksin regime is not easy,” Mr Suthep said in an interview earlier.

The demonstration “might be longer” than the three days originally planned, he added. – (Reuters)