Asia-Pacific

Thai protest leaders offer to surrender

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-05-19 14:51
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Thai protest leaders offer to surrender
A barricade burns near the body of a protester who was killed during an operation to evict anti-government "red shirt" protesters from their encampment in Bangkok May 19, 2010. [Agencies]

BANGKOK -- Thailand's Red Shirt protest leaders say they are formally ending their anti-government protest and will surrender to authorities to prevent more deaths.

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The announcement came after the army overran their heavily barricaded encampment in central Bangkok on Wednesday.

Seven Red Shirt leaders went on stage in the core protest zone to announce their decision, which was greeted with shouts of dismay from the men and women gathered around.

Protest leader Natawut Saikua said "we have done our best." Weng Tojirakarn said "we want to prevent further losses of our Red Shirt brothers and sisters."

He said "let us first prevent further losses of lives," and urged supporters to leave the area.