LIFE HAS been going on almost as normal outside the anti-government protest zones in Bangkok for the last six weeks, but there was gunfire and loud explosions in the city last night after three nights of fighting in which the response to the protesters escalated.
Plumes of black smoke rose in the sky from burning towers and the air echoed with gunfire late on Sunday night and into this morning.
There are snipers on skyscrapers and overpasses around the area occupied by the anti-government protesters.
The government says there are terrorists among the Red Shirts, many of whom support ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The security forces have broadcast footage of protesters with grenades to underline this assertion.
However, all of the 30 people who have died so far are civilians. A couple of hundred more have been wounded. The fighting has done untold damage to Bangkok’s reputation as a progressive and dynamic Asian capital.
There are fears that the conflict could escalate into civil war. Since the strife began in March, at least 60 people have died and more than 1,600 have been wounded.
Soldiers can shoot if protesters come within 36m (about 100ft) of army lines, said army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd, adding that more soldiers were needed to establish control.
Fears of civil war have been heightened as there are signs the violence is spreading beyond Bangkok.
About a quarter of the country is in a state of emergency after violence broke out in the north and the northeast of the country. This is a stronghold for Mr Thaksin and home to half of Thailand’s 67 million people.
The clashes are the lengthiest period of political violence that Thailand has faced in decades, despite having a history of coups – 18 since it became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.
It had looked like an agreement could have been reached last week, after prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva offered to hold elections in November. Then violence broke out anew however after an attempted assassination on a renegade general advising the Red Shirts when the officer was shot in the head.
The Red Shirts asked for a ceasefire and United Nations moderated talks to end the violence. This offer though was dismissed by the government.
“If they really want to talk, they should not set conditions like asking us to withdraw troops,” said Korbsak Sabhavasu, the prime minister’s secretary general.
Protest leaders have told women and children with them to move to a Buddhist temple compound within the protest zone. In Thai tradition, temples are considered safe havens and will not be entered by anyone bearing arms.
Monday and Tuesday have been declared public holidays, although banks and financial markets will remain open.