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Thai protesters march towards ASEAN summit venue

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-04-10 13:43

PATTAYA, Thailand -- Around 100 Thai anti-government protesters broke through an army cordon here Friday and marched to the Royal Cliff Beach Resort, the venue of the 14th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits.

Thousands of red-shirted protesters have blocked all roads leading to the Royal Cliff Beach Resort.

The main crowd briefly clashed with police before some forced their way through a group of soldiers deployed about 500 meters from the luxury hotel.

The protesters shouted slogans against Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, demanding him to step down and dissolve the House.

"Abhisit get out! If this government does not accept our demands we will not go home," shouted the protesters.

Power and internet connection in the ASEAN Summits' press center have been cut off for 20 minutes.

Security has been beefed up following the red shirts held rallies and blocked access to the venue of the summit meeting.

So far it is not clear whether the Summit will be held as scheduled or postponed due to the political unrest.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva turned down the protester's demands for his resignation in a national TV address on Thursday evening, five hours after the protesters' ultimatum expired.

The latest round of anti-government protests in Bangkok has entered the 16th day, and since March 27 all of the entrances of the Government House have been blocked by the red-shirts, or the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship(UDD), preventing Abhisit and his cabinet ministers from entering to work.  

The ASEAN summits are scheduled for April 10-12 in Pattaya, a resort city some 145 km southeast to Bangkok.