The leader of Thailand’s anti-government protests said he had met the nation’s prime minister Sunday after daylong clashes between his supporters and police but defiantly told her he would accept nothing less than having her elected government step down to be replaced by an appointed council.
Suthep Thaugsuban said the meeting with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was held under the auspices of the military, which says it is neutral in the conflict. His account of defiance drew lusty cheers from his supporters.
Police throughout the day fought off mobs of rock-throwing protesters who tried to battle their way into the government’s heavily-fortified headquarters and other offices. Mobs also besieged several television stations, demanding they broadcast the protesters’ views and not the government’s. Several of the capital’s biggest shopping malls closed in the heart of the city due to the unrest.
With skirmishes around Yingluck’s office at Government House continuing as darkness fell, the government advised Bangkok residents to stay indoors overnight for their safety.
The protests have renewed fears of prolonged instability in one of Southeast Asia’s biggest economies. Sunday marked the first time police have used force since demonstrations began in earnest a week ago — a risky strategy that many fear could trigger more bloodshed.
At least three people were killed and 103 injured in skirmishes over the weekend, according to police and the state’s emergency medical services. The deaths occurred at a Bangkok stadium where the body of one protester shot in the chest lay face-up on the ground. The death toll was revised from four after the emergency services office said there had been a mix-up in information from hospitals.
Suthep insisted to his supporters that the meeting with Yingluck did not constitute negotiations. The protesters had dubbed Sunday “victory day” but failed to attain their main stated goal of taking over the prime minister’s offices, despite engaging in pitched street battles. Yingluck’s government has gone to painstaking lengths to avoid using deadly force.
“I only came to tell Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra that right now, people all over Thailand have stood up to show their ownership of Thailand,” Suthep said.
He told followers it would take another two days for their goal to be reached. He earlier called for all public servants to take today off. Last week, protesters tried to disrupt government operations by besieging and occupying parts of several ministries and other government offices.
“If Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra listens to the people’s voices and returns the power to the people, we will treat Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra with politeness because we all are good citizens,” he said.
Spokesmen for both the prime minister and the army said they were too junior to comment on any meeting. Government spokesman Teerat Ratanasevi said Yingluck was not expected to make a statement Sunday night. She did not appear in public, and her aides said she was in a safe place.
While the talks between the main protagonists suggest a faint possibility of a peaceful settlement, they also underline the traditional powerbroker role of the military, which could tumble the government even without a coup by refusing to let its forces help keep the peace. More than 2,500 military personnel were deployed Sunday in support of police defense efforts.
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