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Thailand vows to protect summit from protesters

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-04-09 23:31

BANGKOK -- Protestors paralyzed traffic in parts of Thailand's capital Thursday and threatened to shift their massive anti-government rally to the seaside East Asia Summit, as authorities assured the 15 heads of state expected to attend this weekend that they will be safe.

Supporters of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra rally outside the home of Prem, chief advisor to King Bhumibol, near the Government House in Bangkok April 8, 2009. [Agencies]

Leaders of the protest, which swelled Wednesday to 100,000 people in Bangkok, said they were debating whether to travel from the capital to the summit's venue in Pattaya, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) south, to apply more pressure on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Related readings:  protestors issue 24-hour ultimatum to Thai PM  Thai protests continue on summit eve  Thai PM: Drastic action to be taken if protest turns riot  Thai protestors attack PM's motorcade

The demonstrators are demanding that Abhisit resign along with the top adviser to the country's revered king. The protestors, supporters of exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, accuse the king's adviser of supporting the 2006 military coup that toppled Thaksin's government.

More than 100 taxi drivers sympathetic to the movement parked and then left their vehicles at one of Bangkok's main traffic circles, Victory Monument, jamming the city's already clogged streets.

"We have asked more taxi drivers to do the same if Abhisit does not resign," said a taxi spokesman, Kongkiat Janpeum. "There are thousands more of us."

A protest leader, Jakrapob Penkair, and hundreds of others joined the taxi protests once it proved successful and called for reinforcements.

"We want to increase pressure on the government by using civil disobedience," Jakrapob said.

The East Asia summit involves the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. Leaders of all the countries except India are expected to attend, with meetings of senior officials already under way Thursday at a luxury hotel in Pattaya.

Protest leaders appeared undecided on whether to disrupt the summit, but agreed that a change of strategy was necessary.

"If our demands are not met, we may have to go to Pattaya," Jatuporn Phromphan told demonstrators gathered outside the prime minister's office in Bangkok. "We want to tell our ASEAN friends and other countries to forgive us in advance if this summit cannot take place."

Another protest leader, Nattawut Sai-kua, told Channel 3 television that the goal was not to derail the talks.

"We will just have to decide how we can pressure the government in the context of the summit, but we won't stop it from happening," he said.

Safety concerns were heightened after a car carrying Abhisit was attacked by protestors in Pattaya earlier this week. He was not hurt, but a rear window was shattered.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban sought to assure the visiting leaders they will be protected.

"I want to reiterate that every leader will be safe," Suthep said. "If the police are not sufficient, we will ask for additional forces from the army."

Abhisit reiterated that he would not bow to protestors' demands for his resignation.

"There is no reason to do that. My stance remains the same," he said.

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said security reviews indicated it was "appropriate for the prime minister to attend," but told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that "we continue to monitor the situation in Thailand very carefully."

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