Several opponents of the Thai government were wounded by an explosive device Wednesday at Bangkok International Airport, where activity was completely stopped.
The demonstrators then took control of the control tower at the airport.
The traffic at Suvarnabhumi airport, where transit each year nearly 15 million tourists, was completely disrupted after the attack of the day by protesters.
Some passengers, mostly foreign tourists continued to arrive at the terminal of Suvarnabhumi, ignoring the ongoing crisis.
Hundreds of activists of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which require the resignation of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, spent the night in a tense atmosphere.
A spokesman for the CSA said that a grenade had been launched against activists of the Alliance before the main airport terminal, making four wounded.
The police did not confirm this information, but three explosions were heard on the spot, according to the website of The Nation.
Television has shown for its images of an area damaged by an explosion on a road near the airport.
The CSA also claims that its activists have been targeted by an explosion in another district of the capital. According to The Nation, the various explosions reportedly injured 12.
Thousands of tourists who hoped to return to their countries have also stayed on site accusing the airport authorities and police of failing to prevent the intrusion of protesters dressed in yellow shirts, the color of royalty.
"We arrived and saw all these people in yellow. It was thought that they were football supporters. Now we wait," said Mark, a Dutch tourist.
"I just want to go home for Thanksgiving, but it may not be the case. It is not what happens here," said an American, Kevin Harris.
Tuesday, opponents opened fire elsewhere in the capital on supporters of the government, killing at least eleven wounded.
The PAD, which holds the last six months of anti-government demonstrations, said to have been attacked with stones and planks.
These incidents are the latest in a campaign increasingly active CSA to destabilize the government.
TIRED
"Our goal is to close the Suvarnabhumi airport until the departure of Somchai," said Parnthep Pourpongpan, spokesman of PAD, citing Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.
Somchai, who has ruled out resigning, must return to his country Wednesday after taking part in the Asia-Pacific summit of APEC in Peru. A spokesman for the government said it would not happen to Suvaranabhumi. According to The Nation, his plane should land at Chiang Mai in the north.
The occupation of the airport may begin the public support to a movement that seems willing to extreme actions to provoke a violent response from the government.
Somchai has rejected pressure from PAD, which accuses him of being the straw man of his step-brother Thaksin Shinawatra, former Prime Minister in exile after being overthrown in 2006.
CSA, who presented the demonstrations this week as the "final battle", forcing the government to postpone next month at a parliamentary session where joint must be approved international agreements in anticipation of a regional summit that opens mid -Dec.
However, new events do not seem likely to wear a coup de grace Party government in People Power (PPP).
The polls reflect a growing weariness of opinion to the PAD, royalist motley alliance of businessmen, academics and activists.
According to analysts, powerful allies of the PAD in the elite of Bangkok are increasingly reluctant to effects of political turmoil on the domestic economy.
Despite Somchai links with Thaksin, his personality with little relief has been difficult to handle for its opponents and the police are determined to avoid a repetition of incidents of street on October 7, during which two demonstrators were killed and hundreds more wounded.
The Prime Minister was confirmed in power in elections in December 2007, mainly with the support of rural areas.
Serious incidents increase the risk of a coup two years after the military overthrow of Thaksin, in exile from taking advantage of a bail when he was accused of corruption.
The demonstrators then took control of the control tower at the airport.
The traffic at Suvarnabhumi airport, where transit each year nearly 15 million tourists, was completely disrupted after the attack of the day by protesters.
Some passengers, mostly foreign tourists continued to arrive at the terminal of Suvarnabhumi, ignoring the ongoing crisis.
Hundreds of activists of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which require the resignation of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, spent the night in a tense atmosphere.
A spokesman for the CSA said that a grenade had been launched against activists of the Alliance before the main airport terminal, making four wounded.
The police did not confirm this information, but three explosions were heard on the spot, according to the website of The Nation.
Television has shown for its images of an area damaged by an explosion on a road near the airport.
The CSA also claims that its activists have been targeted by an explosion in another district of the capital. According to The Nation, the various explosions reportedly injured 12.
Thousands of tourists who hoped to return to their countries have also stayed on site accusing the airport authorities and police of failing to prevent the intrusion of protesters dressed in yellow shirts, the color of royalty.
"We arrived and saw all these people in yellow. It was thought that they were football supporters. Now we wait," said Mark, a Dutch tourist.
"I just want to go home for Thanksgiving, but it may not be the case. It is not what happens here," said an American, Kevin Harris.
Tuesday, opponents opened fire elsewhere in the capital on supporters of the government, killing at least eleven wounded.
The PAD, which holds the last six months of anti-government demonstrations, said to have been attacked with stones and planks.
These incidents are the latest in a campaign increasingly active CSA to destabilize the government.
TIRED
"Our goal is to close the Suvarnabhumi airport until the departure of Somchai," said Parnthep Pourpongpan, spokesman of PAD, citing Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.
Somchai, who has ruled out resigning, must return to his country Wednesday after taking part in the Asia-Pacific summit of APEC in Peru. A spokesman for the government said it would not happen to Suvaranabhumi. According to The Nation, his plane should land at Chiang Mai in the north.
The occupation of the airport may begin the public support to a movement that seems willing to extreme actions to provoke a violent response from the government.
Somchai has rejected pressure from PAD, which accuses him of being the straw man of his step-brother Thaksin Shinawatra, former Prime Minister in exile after being overthrown in 2006.
CSA, who presented the demonstrations this week as the "final battle", forcing the government to postpone next month at a parliamentary session where joint must be approved international agreements in anticipation of a regional summit that opens mid -Dec.
However, new events do not seem likely to wear a coup de grace Party government in People Power (PPP).
The polls reflect a growing weariness of opinion to the PAD, royalist motley alliance of businessmen, academics and activists.
According to analysts, powerful allies of the PAD in the elite of Bangkok are increasingly reluctant to effects of political turmoil on the domestic economy.
Despite Somchai links with Thaksin, his personality with little relief has been difficult to handle for its opponents and the police are determined to avoid a repetition of incidents of street on October 7, during which two demonstrators were killed and hundreds more wounded.
The Prime Minister was confirmed in power in elections in December 2007, mainly with the support of rural areas.
Serious incidents increase the risk of a coup two years after the military overthrow of Thaksin, in exile from taking advantage of a bail when he was accused of corruption.
No comments:
Post a Comment