Thai PM continues to defy protesters

Thailand’s prime minister Samak Sundaravej today refused to bow to demands of anti-government protesters who vowed to besiege his office until he resigned.

More than 20,000 demonstrators broke through a police cordon to occupy the area around Thailand’s seat of government and remained there through the night.

The protesters, led by the People’s Alliance for Democracy movement, claim Mr Samak’s government is a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup.

“Our stance is clear, we will continue to protest and camp out here until this puppet government of Thaksin’s is out of office,” said alliance spokesman Suriyasai Katasila.

But deputy government spokesman Natawut Saikau said that Mr Samak “will not bow to (the alliance’s) demand for him to resign”.

“The demand is unreasonable,” Mr Natawut said.

Mr Samak would explain the ongoing political tensions in Thailand to the public later Sunday, Mr Natawut said.

The prime minister met with the armed forces chief yesterday but did not disclose what was discussed, the spokesman said.

“He only said that the police are continuing to be in charge of handling the protest, and that it is not yet time for the soldiers to come out.”

Rumours have swept Bangkok since the protests began three weeks ago that the country’s powerful military would stage another coup, something which the top brass has repeatedly denied.