Thai protest leader says soldiers attacked him

A Thai protest leader who survived an assassination attempt said today he believes he was attacked by soldiers who were assigned to silence him because he knows too much about the shady side of Thai politics.

Sondhi Limthongkul, leader of Thailand’s “yellow-shirt” movement that helped topple the government three years ago, spoke in his first news conference since the April 17 attack, in which his car was ambushed by gunmen in pickup trucks firing M-16 and AK-47 assault rifles.

“I am certain that soldiers were behind this assassination attempt,” Mr Sondhi said.