PAD shuts down airports

Supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) sealed off some of the country's major airports and threatened to seize city halls in the South in a bid to force the resignation of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej shortly after the state of emergency was imposed yesterday. About 1,000 PAD supporters closed the roads to the Hat Yai airport yesterday morning. They set up a stage in front of the airport and vowed a protracted siege of the airport.

Four companies of anti-riot and border patrol police were deployed to secure the airport and bring security there to its highest level.

About 300 of the group's supporters sealed off the airport for four hours yesterday and then left for Bangkok to join the PAD demonstration at Government House.

Praween Julapakdi, a PAD coordinator in Surat Thani, said the two evening flights would not be blocked.

Key southern supporters of the PAD announced in Chumphon yesterday they would lay siege to city halls in all 14 southern provinces if Mr Samak insists on staying.

Highways in the region would also be blocked, said Sunthorn Rakrong, the PAD's southern coordinator.

The movement's backers forced the cancellation of seven flights at Hat Yai airport yesterday.

Prapas Inthanapasat, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) director in Hat Yai, said the airport rally and the rail strike would hurt tourism all the more in Songkhla, which is already suffering from insurgent threats.

Phanu Woramit, TAT director in Surat Thani province, said the news of the clash between the anti-government and pro-government supporters in Bangkok early yesterday caused the cancellation of about half the flight bookings made by South Korean couples planning honeymoon trips to Koh Samui this week.

Ruangnam Jaikwang, president of the southern hoteliers' association, said the hotel industry on Koh Samui could grind to a halt if the political turmoil is allowed to persist.

In the northeastern province of Khon Kaen, some medical staff of the Srinakarin Hospital at Khon Kaen University are considering a strike if Mr Samak refuses to call it quits.

About 100 doctors, nurses and medical students at the hospital said they would withdraw all their bank savings in an effort to jeopardise the local economy.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/030908_News/03Sep2008_news04.php

PM: Clash will be investigated

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej yesterday assured the public that investigations would be carried out into the cause of the violence between pro- and anti-government protesters, which left one man dead. In a televised news conference at the Royal Thai Armed Forces headquarters shortly after he declared a state of emergency, Mr Samak said the emergency enforcement committee would be responsible for the investigations.

''The matter will be looked into carefully,'' he said, without specifying the timeframe of the investigations.

Pro-government United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) and the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) clashed around 1am yesterday on Ratchadamnoen Nok avenue.

The violence erupted shortly after midnight when the UDD led more than 2,000 members, mostly wearing red T-shirts or red headbands, to march from Sanam Luang, where the UDD held a rally yesterday to counter the PAD rally, to Makkhawan Rangsan bridge, the headquarters of the PAD.

The UDD members, mostly armed with wooden batons, some with iron bars, stones and knives, were led by young men on board 20 motorcycles, who honked their horns while leading the group along the avenue. Two six-wheel trucks followed the group.

About 500 police were divided into two teams to set up blockades along the avenue to prevent the UDD demonstrators from confronting the PAD protesters. About 12.30am, the UDD reached the first police blockade in front of Nang Loeng police station.

It took the UDD about five minutes to pass through the blockade, as police had only anti-riot shields without any batons.

The motorcycle riders who led the UDD drove straight at metal barricades set up by police. The officers tried in vain to prevent the UDD from advancing through the second blockade, near the PAD protest site.

Upon learning the UDD had marched to the PAD's protest site at the bridge, PAD core member Somsak Kosaisuk immediately ordered demonstrators to rush to the Makkhawan Rangsan site from Government House.

Mr Somsak and thousands of PAD demonstrators have encamped at Government House since last Tuesday.

The PAD demonstrators, mostly young men armed with knives, wooden clubs, golf clubs and iron bars, reinforced PAD guards, numbering about 1,000, at the bridge to protect their protest site.

The UDD managed to break through the last police barricade in front of the army headquarters. Upon seeing their rivals, the UDD members ran towards their opponents, who managed to break through a police barricade.

The two sides clashed and gunfire was heard.

After the 30-minute clash, the UDD, which was outnumbered by the PAD, suffered casualties. A total of 43 people were hurt and one was pronounced dead on arrival in hospital from injuries to his head and face. Three of the wounded had been shot, according to the Narenthorn Emergency Response Centre.

The dead man was identified as UDD member Narongsak Krobthaisong, 55.

Police found a number of spent 9mm bullets left at the clash scene.

National police chief Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwan and his deputy and acting city police chief Pol Gen Jongrak Juthanont yesterday inspected the scene.

About 400 soldiers from the 1st Infantry Regiment armed with shields and batons were deployed to the site. The troops stood in the middle of the two conflicting groups.

Nearly 600 schools in Bangkok were temporarily closed following the clash. The Office of the Basic Education Commission ordered state-run schools in Bangkok to be closed for one or two days, depending on their location.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/030908_News/03Sep2008_news06.php

PAD supporters guard ASTV from being taken off air

Around 200 supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) yesterday banded together to guard the ASTV station and Manager newspaper offices on Phra Athit road amid rumours Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was going to take the cable TV channel off the air. The PAD demonstrators walked from the protest ground at Government House in the late morning before separating into two groups.

The first stood guard in front of Ban Chao Phraya where the ASTV station is located while another group gathered nearby outside the Manager newspaper office at Ban Phra Athit.

The PAD supporters came together to protect the ASTV station from any disruption to its broadcasts, including a possible attack by supporters of the pro-government United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD).

Earlier, a rumour went around that the station, owned by PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul, would be taken off the air on the orders of Mr Samak.

In the evening, about 500 PAD guards placed old tyres, railings and barbed wires at two sections of Phra Athit road to foil any attempts to cause disturbances at the station.

Behind the layer of defences, the PAD guards armed with sticks, golf clubs, metal bars and catapults stayed put.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Court yesterday dismissed an appeal to revoke arrest warrants for nine PAD leaders on charges of inciting insurrection.

Narat Imsuksri, Criminal Court secretary, said the nine PAD leaders could file another appeal. PAD lawyer Nathaporn Toprayoon plans to do so with the Appeals Court today.

Supachai Jaisamut, secretary to the Interior Minister, said investigators were in the process of taking legal action against Mr Sondhi's son Jittanart, one of the executives of Thaiday Dot Com Co, which operates the ASTV station, and 30 other PAD figures for insurrection and invasion of government offices following its controversial broadcasts in violation of the state of emergency.

PAD leader Maj-Gen Chamlong Srimuang warned that if ASTV was closed, electricity to all politicians, especially Mr Samak's house, would be cut off.

Army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda said that biased media reports by state-owned television station NBT and ASTV had brought the political situation to a critical point. Measures to monitor the two stations might be put in place.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/030908_News/03Sep2008_news07.php