Thailand's anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) leader
Chamlong Srimuang said yesterday protestors' march to seal off different
locations in Bangkok yesterday is simply a prelude, as the group planned more
intense coordinated protests today and vowed to topple the government by
tomorrow.
On Monday, key PAD leaders declared victory after their mass protests at
Parliament prompted the cancellation of yesterday's joint session of the House
of Representatives and Senate.
According to the state-run Thai News Agency, police arrested six men dressed
as PAD protestors, who allegedly hijacked a Bangkok Mass Transit Authority bus
and drove it to the PAD protest site to be used as a road blockade.
The protestors also marched to seize the Chart Thai Party Headquarters and
Finance Ministry and later changed their target to the temporary seat of
government at Don Mueang Airport.
The PAD protestors seized the rooftop of the terminal building and announced
its victory. The protestors also booed and attacked Deputy Metropolitan Police
Chief Police Col Patchara Boonyasit, while he was walking to the Government's
temporary office.
The protestors planned to camp out at Don Mueang airport last night while
more supporters would join the group this morning. Scores of police were on
standby to prevent a possible break-in by the demonstrators.
The group also announced it would rally at Suvarnabhumi Airport tomorrow
morning to protest against Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat from landing on his
return to Thailand after attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Summit in Peru.
The Thai government, the opposition, House Speaker and the senate president
jointly agreed to hold an extraordinary parliamentary session on December 8 and
9 and would confer only on drafted international conventions and treaties to be
inked at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in the
northern province of Chiang Mai in December.