Friday June 20, 2008

Anti-govt rally moves to Thai PM's doorstep

By Pracha Hariraksapitak and Ed Cropley

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Chanting "Get out, get out", thousands of protesters camped outside the office of Thailand's prime minister on Friday after police removed barricades blocking them in their campaign to oust the government.

A supporter of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) tries to break through riot police lines while marching towards the Government House in Bangkok June 20, 2008. (REUTERS/Stringer)

The yellow-shirted crowd waved flags and sang songs outside the ornate wrought-iron fence surrounding Government House in Bangkok as riot police stood by casually watching them.

Despite fears of violence, the march by the 25,000-strong crowd of mainly middle-class Bangkok residents was largely peaceful, prompting relieved investors to push up Thai shares by nearly 4 percent.

"We are here to fight for democracy, for Thailand. We are here to protect the motherland," Sondhi Limthongkul, a leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), told the jubilant crowd.

The PAD, a motley collection of businessmen, academics, royalists and unionised workers, launched the campaign four weeks ago, united by their hatred of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted in a bloodless 2006 coup.

The long-running protests against the government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, which the PAD views as an illegitimate Thaksin proxy, raised political tensions at a time of stuttering economic growth and soaring inflation.

Fears of clashes last month between police and demonstrators stoked rumours of another military coup less than two years after the army's bloodless removal of Thaksin, who insists he has retired from politics although few believe him.

Samak called a meeting with the chiefs of the army and police as the protest unfolded, but declined to speak to reporters after the talks at a military compound.

Army chief Anupong Paochinda, a member of the military council that ousted Thaksin, has previously insisted the army would not get involved, perhaps mindful of unrest in 1992, when soldiers opened fire on pro-democracy marchers, killing dozens.

INVESTORS RELIEVED

A few days ago police said they were prepared to use fire hoses and tear gas to stop the marchers, and barricades of crash barriers and prison trucks were erected to block access to the government compound.

But after the protesters sat in front of the barricades for several hours, the police suddenly turned around and walked away. Some officers waved to the cheering crowd as they departed.

"Police had to let the protesters through our blockades because we never wanted to use violence against them in the first place," Police Major General Surapol Thuanthong told Reuters.

He said some 8,000 police would remain in the area to ensure there was no unrest.

"We let them in because they promised not to use any weapons or go inside the Government House compound. They have kept their word so far," Surapol said.

The absence of violence triggered a nearly four percent rally in Thai shares, although the main index is still down 13 percent since the PAD started its campaign on May 25.

The baht, which hit more than a five-month low of 33.53 against the dollar earlier in the day, prompting the central bank to intervene in the jittery market, later stabilised at 33.41.

Although the PAD said it wanted a peaceful rally, dozens of its bodyguards had armed themselves with baseball bats, plastic helmets and wooden shields.

PAD co-leader Chamlong Srimuang, a retired major-general who led a 1992 "people power" protest against a military-led government, said they would defend themselves if government supporters attacked the marchers.

"We have some baseball bats because we don't believe the police can protect us from those troublemakers from hell," Chamlong told the crowd.

Since Thursday, hundreds of government supporters have held their own rally close to the PAD stage, the two sides hurling insults at each other as a few dozen police kept them apart.

(Additional reporting by Nopporn Wong-Anan)

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