Emergency declared in Thailand

LankaTruth 02nd Sep: 2008. 01.23 PM

A state of emergency has been declared in Thailand after one person was killed in political clashes between protesters demanding the resignation of the prime minister, Samak Sundaravej, and his supporters.

400 troops in riot gear were deployed to separate the mobs brandishing clubs and sticks as they fought a brief pitched battle on the broad avenue that runs outside the regional headquarters of the United Nations. A number of shots were fired by several of the protesters armed with pistols in an escalation in the scale of the violence.

The Prime Minister empowered the army to restore order on the streets of Bangkok following the fighting, the worst violence seen since the anti-government campaign began in May. Samak gave the Army Commander in Chief, Anupong Paojinda, sole responsibility for enforcing the emergency rule in the capital, saying troops would assist the police in maintaining calm.

However, hundreds of anti-government demonstrators from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) vowed to continue their campaign until Samak Sundaravej, and his supporters resign.