Anti-Government Protesters Besiege Thailand Prime Minister's Temporary Offices
By VOA News
25 November 2008
Thai anti-government protesters have besieged the temporary offices of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat during the second day of what they say is their final push to topple the government.
Mr. Somchai set up offices at the Don Muang domestic airport on the outskirts of the capital, Bangkok, after protesters occupied the prime minister's compound in August.
Thailand's main public sector unions last week threatened to send their approximately 200,000 members out on a nationwide strike Tuesday, if the country's current administration did not step down.
On Monday, tens of thousands of protesters led by the People's Alliance for Democracy staged a major rally outside parliament, forcing lawmakers to postpone a joint session aimed at passing key legislation.
Lawmakers were scheduled to consider constitutional amendments that will halt investigations and prosecutions of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, his family and supporters.
Elsewhere around the capital city, hundreds of protesters on Monday blocked access to the Metropolitan Police headquarters and other key ministries.
The protesters appeared to be outfitted for a confrontation with riot police when they marched to parliament on Monday from their camp inside the prime minister's compound.
But there were no reports of major clashes with the more than 1,000 police officers guarding the parliament building, or with about 2,000 government troops who were on standby.
The protesters accuse Mr. Somchai of being a proxy for his brother-in-law, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006 for alleged corruption.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
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