Thai protest leader says no negotiations with government
Iran Press TV
Mon Jan 27, 2014 1:1PM GMT
Thailand's protest leader says there will be no negotiations over allowing access to blockaded ministries and state agencies.
Suthep Thaugsuban, a former Thai deputy prime minister, has asked government officials not to contact protester groups, saying they will not negotiate to return the premises.
'Groups in each protest area will not negotiate with government officials to return the various premises ... So don't bother contacting us,' Suthep said in a televised statement on Monday.
Anti-government protesters have blockaded seven big intersections in the capital Bangkok, forcing many ministries and key organizations to close down.
The government is now asking them to discuss providing access to the blockaded areas.
Thailand is bracing for general elections scheduled for February 2.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra called the elections in an attempt to appease protesters who are demanding her resignation.
The premier is under pressure to step down after nearly three months of anti-government rallies.
Protesters say the political system needs to be totally reformed. They say the government has to be ousted and replaced by a people's council.
At least ten people have died and dozens more injured since the wave of protests which started a few months ago.
Both the pro-government activists and the anti-government protesters blame each other for the violence.
Protests started after Bangkok proposed an amnesty bill that could have pardoned ousted prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, setting the scene for his return to the country.
The ex-premier, ousted in 2006, has been in self-exile since 2008 to avoid a two-year prison sentence.
JR/AB
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