Protesters shut down Thai broadcaster, more than 50 arrested
Source : CBC News
August 26, 2008
Dozens of anti-government protesters armed with knives and guns stormed a government-owned television station in Thailand and briefly forced it off the air Tuesday.
Members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) shut down studios of the National Broadcasting Services of Thailand in Bangkok for a few hours before police moved in and arrested 50 to 80 protesters without incident, the broadcaster said.
Hundreds more unarmed protesters gathered outside the gates of the media compound while thousands of PAD supporters peacefully laid siege to several government ministries, including the main Government House, preventing employees from entering the offices, local media reported.
"We are now controlling most of the key government offices to prevent them from coming to work," said Sondhi Limthongkul, a co-leader of PAD. "Today, we declare a long, long holiday for the government."
The protests are the latest effort by the group to force Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's government from office. Those protesting contend Samak is a proxy for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and has sought self-imposed exile in England.
Samak, whose party won national elections last December, denies the allegations.
Since May, PAD has staged boisterous protests that have disrupted traffic in pockets of the capital but have rarely turned violent.
The group's leaders painted Tuesday's protest as the start of the final showdown against the government and have vowed to continue agitating until Samak quits.
Samak has refused, maintaining that "the government is still safe and sound."
With files from the Associated Press
© CBC
Members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) shut down studios of the National Broadcasting Services of Thailand in Bangkok for a few hours before police moved in and arrested 50 to 80 protesters without incident, the broadcaster said.
Hundreds more unarmed protesters gathered outside the gates of the media compound while thousands of PAD supporters peacefully laid siege to several government ministries, including the main Government House, preventing employees from entering the offices, local media reported.
"We are now controlling most of the key government offices to prevent them from coming to work," said Sondhi Limthongkul, a co-leader of PAD. "Today, we declare a long, long holiday for the government."
The protests are the latest effort by the group to force Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's government from office. Those protesting contend Samak is a proxy for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and has sought self-imposed exile in England.
Samak, whose party won national elections last December, denies the allegations.
Since May, PAD has staged boisterous protests that have disrupted traffic in pockets of the capital but have rarely turned violent.
The group's leaders painted Tuesday's protest as the start of the final showdown against the government and have vowed to continue agitating until Samak quits.
Samak has refused, maintaining that "the government is still safe and sound."
With files from the Associated Press
© CBC
