& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Thaksin supporters surround PM office, demand snap polls

AFP, Bangkok
Thousands of anti-government protesters besieged the Thai prime minister's office yesterday to demand snap elections, unleashing fresh political turmoil days before the kingdom hosts a key summit.
Red-shirted demonstrators loyal to ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra called on new Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve his rwo-month-old government and said they would hold a three-day sit-in at Government House.
Demonstrators shouting "We don't want this government" broke through barbed wire barricades manned by hundreds of police and soldiers and took control of the roads around Government House, an AFP correspondent said.
The so-called "Red Shins" have campaigned against the government since a court dissolved the pro-Thaksin former ruling party in December, paving the way for British-born Democrat Party leader Abhisit to take power.
One of the protest leaders, Shinawat Haboonpad, said they would stay at Government House "at least until Thursday", and supporters began constructing tents, food stalls and a stage outside the gates of the compound.
The rally has already forced Abhisit to move his weekly Tuesday cabinet meeting to the beach resort of Hua Hin, where he will host a summit of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) leaders from Friday.
Abhisit insisted that he would go to work at Government House on Wednesday asusual.
"I can walk in but protesters must be unarmed," he said
"Protesters said they will not obstruct officials from working. Core leaders must give assurances dial protesters will comply with their promise."
Police said around 10,000 flag-waving demonstrators dressed in signature crimson T-shirts had massed outside Government House after travelling on motorbikes, trucks and on foot from a downtown Bangkokparade ground.
Some tried to overturn a police truck before a group carrying hammers and wirecutters broke through the huge coils of razor wire sealing off the main road in front of the building.
Protesters using crowbars also smashed up concrete barricades behind the sprawling complex.
Authorities have deployed about 3,700 police officers and 1,680 soldiers for the protests but Abhisit insisted any crowd control would be peaceful.
"My government has no policy to resort to violence. If we need to maintain rule of law, we will use legal measures," he said.
In addition to calling for elections, the Red Shirts have demanded the sacking of Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya because of his links to the anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) movement.
The yellow-clad PAD occupied Government House for three months last year - during which violent protests outside parliament left two people dead -- and seized control of Bangkok's two airports for a week in November-December.
They ended the sieges in December when the court
dissolved the ruling party, paving the way for Abhisit to win a parliamentary vote.
'Hie Red Snirts also want the return of the 1997 constitution, which was replaced by a new constitution following the 2006 coup that toppled Thaksin, and the speeding up of prosecutions against PAD leaders.