Protesters throw blood at prime minister’s house

DWINDLING hordes of protesters fanned across Bangkok yesterday, hurling blood at the prime minister’s residence and crowding outside Western embassies in a long-odds bid to force snap elections.

The government has stood firm against demands for its resignation pressed by the so-called Red Shirts, loyal to fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who have been based at a rally ground in the Thai capital since the weekend.

Police said 38,000 protesters remained on yesterday evening at the site in the city’s government quarter, down from more than 100,000 at Sunday’s peak, as many returned to their homes in the kingdom’s rural provinces.

But the rally still paralysed streets as most of the group left their base by truck, car and motorcycle for premier Abhisit Vejjajiva’s house, where a few threw bags of protesters’ blood in a third display of crimson anger.

Government reaction to the symbolic blood protests has been muted, but a minister attached to the prime minister’s office yesterday said it was “uncivilised”.

“Blood is a symbol of violence and hurling it at the house is saddening. The prime minister is speechless over this incident,” Satit Wongnhongtaey told reporters.

Abhisit’s residence has been hit several times in recent weeks by protesters throwing bags of excrement at the walls.

Yesterday he flew to Thailand’s far south, where a six-year separatist insurgency is raging. Satit said intelligence reports had repeatedly warned of assassination attempts on Abhisit.

The Reds have turned to theatrical shock tactics in their campaign to bring down the Abhisit government, which came to power via a December 2008 parliamentary vote after a controversial court ruling ousted Thaksin’s allies.

The mainly poor and rural followers of Thaksin, a billionaire telecoms tycoon who lives abroad to avoid a jail term for corruption, fervently support the populist policies he introduced before his ouster in a 2006 coup.