Thai protesters clash with police, march to ASEAN summit venue

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-04-10 16:56

PATTAYA - Thai anti-government protesters Friday broke through an army cordon and marched towards the ASEAN summit venue hereof Asian leaders Friday.

Thai protesters clash with police, march to ASEAN summit venue

Supporters of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra break through a cordon of riot policemen near the venue of the 14th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Pattaya April 10, 2009. [Agencies]

Thousands of protesters has assembled in front of Royal Cliff Beach Resort hotel, the venue where the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other dialogue partners is opened Friday.

Some foreign officials attending the preparatory meeting here have left the venue due to the protest, though Thai deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said states leaders to attend the summits are heading for Pattaya as scheduled.

Riot police and red-shirted protesters angrily pushing each other before some red-shirts broke the blockage by a group of soldiers deployed about 500 meters from the Royal Cliff Beach Resort hotel.

Three police cordons to prevent the protesters from reaching the hotel.

The core leaders of the anti-government protests in Bangkok had previously threatened to disrupt the ASEAN summits if their demands were not met.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Thursday evening turned down the protester's demands for his resignation in a national TV address, five hours after the pro-Thaksin movement's ultimatum expired.

The latest round of anti-government protests in Bangkok has entered the 16th day, and since March 27 all of the entrances of the Government House have been blocked by the red-shirts, or the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) , preventing Abhisit and his cabinet ministers from entering to work.

The ASEAN summits are scheduled for April 10-12 in Pattaya, a resort city some 145 km southeast to Bangkok.

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