Thai troops open fire during protests
Thai security forces fired bullets in the air today as they faced anti-government protesters on the outskirts of Bangkok.
It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured in the confrontation as troops sought to keep the Red Shirts from expanding their demonstrations along a major road connecting the capital with its northern suburbs.
The Red Shirts, who have paralysed parts of the capital with protests for weeks in their campaign to bring down the government, had announced they were widening their demonstrations and dared the military to stop them as hundreds headed on motorcycles and pick-up trucks to a planned rally in a suburb.
The confrontation raised concerns over more violence after government warnings that patience was running out in the seven-week stand-off.
It comes a day after forcing a shutdown of the capital’s busy elevated train system.
Prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he hoped to resolve the stand-off peacefully even as the government cancelled rubbish collection in the barricaded encampment in the city’s commercial district that thousands of protesters have occupied since last month.
With many Thais losing patience, the government has yet to outline a clear plan on how to end the sporadically violent crisis after calling off negotiations with the protesters, who consider the government illegitimate and want parliament disbanded.
“We recognise that as every day passes by, the people of Thailand suffer, the country suffers, but we want to make sure that there is rule of law,” Mr Abhisit said.
“We will try to enforce the law with minimum losses and we will try to find a political resolution, but it takes time, patience and co-operation.”
At least 26 people have been killed and nearly 1,000 wounded since protesters began occupying parts of Bangkok in mid-March, closing down five-star hotels and shopping malls and devastating the country’s vital tourism industry.
