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Thai protesters defy order to leave PM's compound

by Dave Keating | August 27, 2008 at 11:57 pm

1075 views | 24 Recommendations | 10 comments

A day after Thai judges issued arrest warrants for the leaders of the massive protests in Bangkok, the demonstrators have still refused to vacate the sites they have occupied. Over the course of the protest they have occupied many government buildings, including the prime ministers compound.

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters defied a court order to leave Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's official compound on Thursday as the group's leaders vowed to stay until his administration fell.

Samak, who ordered police to break up the rally at Government House on Wednesday, softened his tough stance after they failed to exercise arrest warrants overnight for nine leaders of the three-month-old, anti-government campaign.

"After thorough consideration, it would be too dangerous to do so," Samak told reporters at army headquarters after being forced to abandon his main office this week.

"I've told the police not to break up the crowd, but to encourage people to leave," Samak said of the 10,000 supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) camped on the Government House lawn behind makeshift barricades.

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Paschen

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 01:55 on August 28th, 2008

Dave Keating, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Dave Keating

at 03:17 on August 28th, 2008

Thanks Paschen, it's interesting what's going on over there.

Paschen

at 03:21 on August 28th, 2008

It is interesting and yet worrying as well, It could still go in the wrong directions and become a night mare or something like that. I hope it will be positive.

Sanjay Jha

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 03:39 on August 28th, 2008

Dave Keating, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Milieunet

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 04:44 on August 28th, 2008

Dave Keating, I like this story. It's good stuff.

gerrypopplestone

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 05:12 on August 28th, 2008

Dave Keating, I like this story. It's good stuff. Of course, Samak Sundaravej cannot really be trusted when it comes to demos. At the famous Thammasat University uprising (1976?), he deliberately provoked the police (I think he was a Bangkok police chief at the time) into killing 36 students. He still denies that any protesters were killed (there is even a memorial to them in Ratchadamnoen Street!). But I also cant imagine that these urban middle class privileged people are really going to achieve anything.

craigmartell

at 05:17 on August 28th, 2008

I just spent the day inside the Parliament building, the one the protestors have taken over. I also spent a few hours hanging out with the police that were supposed to remove the protestors at 3pm. 3pm came and went, and the police first relaxed and had donuts and then they went home. (I am not kidding about the donuts, I will have pictures on my Flickr site tonight.)

All in all, both sides were very Thai about the whole thing. This does not mean that there won't be violence. Both sides were prepared for it. But I don't think either side -- or at least most on either side -- want violence. For example, all of the police officer's holsters were empty. They explicitly were not carrying firearms. They were carrying batons and tear-gas guns, but no firearms.

The protestors were definitely armed as well -- with golf clubs and pool cues, etc. Again, as soon as my pictures are up, you can see this too.

I will try to get down tomorrow for more info and pictures.

Craig

Barbara McPherson

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:31 on August 28th, 2008

Dave Keating, I like this story. It's good stuff. This is where NP really shines. We're getting so much more up to date info on this situation than the TV networks would ever carry.