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Thai PM gives retreat ultimatum to protesters

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-08-26 21:38

BANGKOK -- Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej issued an ultimatum to anti-government protesters led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) who intruded many key establishments in the capital including the Government House, warning them to retreat or face counteractions by police.

The TV grab taken on Aug. 26, 2008 shows Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej giving an emergency statement in Bangkok, Thailand. Samak Sundaravej gave ultimatum in the statement to anti-government protestors led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) who intruded Tuesday into many key establishments in the capital including the Government House, warning them to retreat or face counteractions by police. [Xinhua]

Samak reiterated this is a last chance as the government has acted with utmost restraint in dealing with the PAD protests, which have continued in Bangkok for one month and reached a climax on Tuesday as thousands of protesters seized a state-run TV station, blocked main roads linking Bangkok to upcountry, and broke into various government institutions including the Government House compound, several ministries' offices and the Bangkok Metropolitan Police Bureau, in a showdown siege to force the step-down of the Samak government.

"It is not that we don't have any measures or policy grounds to stop them (PAD protesters), but we just kept giving chances to them. Now our tolerance has reached its extreme."

Samak, as Prime Minister and Defence Minister, ordered Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minster Kowit Watana to take whole responsibility for keeping law and order in the capital.

He called on the protesters to put national solidarity first and retreat from the occupied and intruded establishments as soon as possible, or "they would be brought to justice."

He also lashed at the PAD for throwing "groundless" accusations against his administration. "I plead that every Thai citizen, all media ponder before making a fair judgment on the government's doings."

He also pointed out that the current government he led was a lawfully elected one, while the PAD was not such produced, and that the group had broken their promise of insisting on their protests of a peaceful nature, but seized important state institutions by force, which was in breach of the constitution andshould be punished by law.

After Samak made the statement, Interior Minister Kowit, former national police chief, ordered the protesters now stationed in the Government House compound to disperse before 6:00 p.m. (1100GMT), otherwise they "will be asked to leave", according to deputy police spokesman Pol Maj Gen Surapol Tuanthong.

Samak's last-chance ultimatum was more restrained than what some had expected, that he would declare a state of emergency in Bangkok.

Immediately after Samak made the statement, one of the PAD five core leaders Sondhi Limthongkul showed up on the steps of the ThaiKhu Fah Building at the Government House to declare a victory of their movement, and vowed to continue the protests until Samak resigned.