ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTERS BESIEGE PARLIAMENT, POLICE, SOLDIERS SHOW RESTRAINT

By D. Arul Rajoo

BANGKOK, Nov 24 (Bernama) -- Despite thousands of anti-government supporters besieging the Parliament building, Bangkok police headquarters and the finance ministry in their 'final battle' to topple the elected government, Thai police and soldiers have shown restraint in not confronting them.

Blocking lawmakers from attending the Joint Session of the House of
Representatives and Senate today, the protesters forced Speaker Chai Chidchob to
postpone the meeting which was to have discussed the controversial constitution
amendment and a legislation regarding the Asean trade regulations.

Several hundred supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD)
also
blocked entrance to the Bangkok Metropolitan Police Headquarters, using old
buses and tyres while electricity was cut off to the parliament and police
buildings.

Police and soldiers stood by and watched the protesters, mostly clad in
yellow and carrying the portrait of the revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, march
from the Government House to the Parliament Building.

Protesters also moved to the office of the Chart Thai Party, which is one
of
the six parties in the coalition government, while a handful of PAD supporters
headed to the Don Muang Airport. Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat has an office
at the airport, apart from the Government House, the centre of the country's
administration which was seized by PAD on Aug 26.

But unlike the Oct 7 incident when two people were killed and over 500
injured after police used tear gas to disperse PAD supporters from blocking the
Parliament building, the situation remained calm as police and soldiers did not
confont the protesters.

Police, however, detained six man believed to PAD guards after they seized
a
bus about 10am, near the Government House area.

PAD leaders had said this would be their final battle to topple the
government since beginning their street rallies on May 25, against the
government made up of allies of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Led by media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul, who organised mass demonstrations
in
the capital in 2006 which paved the way for the military ouster of Thaksin, PAD
had been staging daily street rallies in the capital since May 25.

Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, the brother-in-law of Thaksin, is
currently in Peru, attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation.

Tension has been rising in the capital in the past few weeks, with several
bomb attacks against PAD occupation of the Government House, including the
latest on Saturday which saw a protester killed.
-- BERNAMA