Troops repelled anti-government protesters at a Thai resort hosting an Asian summit yesterday as leaders began arriving for a meeting to focus on the global financial crisis.
Hundreds of troops guarded an entrance to the Royal Cliff Beach Resort in Pattaya, about 150km south of Bangkok, and fended off at least one attempt to break through.
But tensions eased considerably after an official from ASEAN came out of the hotel to accept a letter from a protest leader. They had threatened to storm the summit venue if their demand was not met.
“We don’t want any Thai officials to accept this letter because this is an illegitimate government and it was not elected by the people,” protest leader Arismun Tongreungrong told reporters.
Several thousand “red-shirt” supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra had marched with little police resistance to the summit venue to demand the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
They say his government is illegitimate because he came to power in December through parliamentary defections allegedly engineered by the army.
The protesters began retreating from the hotel complex after delivering their letter, but said they would be back today.
“We have resolved the issue and there won’t be any more disruption and I think that’s the expectation of the demonstrators,” ASEAN secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan said.
Later, however, stick-wielding pro-government demonstrators hurled rocks over riot troops at the anti-Abhisit protesters at a road intersection a few hundred meters from the summit venue.
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