THAILAND:Thai prime minister Samak Sundaravej ordered thousands of riot police to remove an anti-government crowd occupying his office compound yesterday, but protest leaders vowed to stay.
"The prime minister said it has to end today," Mr Samak's chief spokesman, Wichianchot Sukchotrat, told reporters. "Thousands of police will be deployed to move the protesters out of the government house."
A court also ordered the flag-waving members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (Pad) to abandon their two-day siege of the government headquarters. But Pad leaders said they would not budge and planned to appeal the ruling today. "We respect the court's order, but we don't have enough time to move out and we will launch an appeal," said Samran Rodpetch, standing on a stage as demonstrators reinforced barricades blocking roads near the site to stop the police.
Dozens of police trucks were parked on streets near the government house and police doctors and ambulances were on standby, Thai television reports said.
By late yesterday, police had taken no direct action against the rally despite court-issued arrest warrants for nine Pad leaders, accusing them of inciting unrest and trying to overthrow the government, a crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Two-thousand police have taken up position in and around the compound, though the only confrontation was early yesterday when 15 people were injured in scuffles with police.
A poll showed a shift in public mood against the Pad, whose 2005 protests against then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra ultimately led to his removal.
The Bangkok University survey suggested 73 per cent of people in the capital disagreed with the group's campaign, which accuses the coalition of being an illegitimate Thaksin proxy. The Pad also proclaims itself a defender of King Bhumibol Adulyadej against a supposed Thaksin plan to turn Thailand into a republic - a charge denied by Mr Thaksin and the government.
- (Reuters)