Thai troops fire upon protesters
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Kuala Lumpur, April 13, IRNA -- Thai troops opened fire in Bangkok on Monday after protesters apparently tried to drive a bus at a line of soldiers during anti-government demonstrations.
The military crackdown on protesters has left at least 77 people injured, four of whom have suffered gunshot wounds.
An army spokesman said that soldiers were shot at by protesters before dawn, and had fired back.
The exchange was heard one day after ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra urged his followers to carry out a revolution.
Thailand's current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva made a late-night televised appeal for calm Sunday and told citizens that his government remained in control.
Earlier, the prime minister had imposed emergency measures after demonstrators forced the government to cancel an ASEAN summit and evacuate leaders by helicopter from Pattaya Saturday.
Those measures failed to stop a mob from attacking Mr. Abhisit's car with stones, sticks, poles and potted plants as it tried to leave the Interior Ministry compound Sunday. The prime minister escaped unhurt.
The unrest is the latest element of a political crisis that began when the military deposed Mr. Thaksin in 2006, accusing him of corruption and abuse of power.
Mr. Abhisit is the third person in the past year to hold the post of Thai prime minister.
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