Thai troops guard business district
Source: Agencies |
April 20, 2010, Tuesday
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THAI troops with assault rifles deployed to Bangkok's business district yesterday to deter anti-government protesters who braced for battle by stockpiling paving stones as the standoff threatened to descend into more bloodshed.
A leader of the "Red Shirt" protesters, thousands of mostly rural demonstrators camped out in the capital since March 12 to demand the dissolution of parliament, accused the troops of preparing the area to be "a killing field."
The government has declared Silom Road, a thoroughfare studded with bank headquarters and office buildings, off-limits to the protesters who are occupying a nearby main shopping district in their bid to oust Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and force new elections.
Large coils of razor wire blocked sidewalks at several points, though pedestrians simply went into the streets to walk around them while tourists took snapshots.
Protest leaders had called for a mass rally today, with some indicating it may be staged in the business district. However, the protesters have often changed their plans to keep security forces off-guard.
With demonstrators already laying siege to Bangkok's main shopping area, the prospect of a march in nearby Silom - both a business and tourist hub - threatened to sink the already shaken economy even further.
Troops initially moved in to block entry to Silom, patrolling some of the city's most famous sex-bar strips, which are just off the main drag. Some took positions atop buildings after searching for possible snipers and along a skywalk running above the road.
Others guarded bank buildings, ATM machines and entrances to subway and elevated rail stations.
The Red Shirt protesters were initially camped in a historic district of Bangkok. A failed April 10 attempt by security forces to flush protesters from that neighborhood erupted into the worst political violence Thailand has seen in 18 years, leaving 25 dead and hundreds wounded.
Army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said yesterday that the officers deployed on Silom Road "have the right to carry weapons to protect themselves, and (I) believe the society finds it acceptable."
After a tense face-off early yesterday, the troops pulled back almost halfway down its 2.5-kilometer length to protect a key target of the protesters, the headquarters of the Bangkok Bank, which was barricaded by razor wire.
Many of the demonstrators also pulled back, but piled rudimentary weapons at the intersection where the road begins, including bricks pulled from the sidewalks and stacks of bamboo rods.
The Red Shirts claims Bangkok Bank has close ties to the government. They have protested in front of the building previously on a smaller scale.
A leader of the "Red Shirt" protesters, thousands of mostly rural demonstrators camped out in the capital since March 12 to demand the dissolution of parliament, accused the troops of preparing the area to be "a killing field."
The government has declared Silom Road, a thoroughfare studded with bank headquarters and office buildings, off-limits to the protesters who are occupying a nearby main shopping district in their bid to oust Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and force new elections.
Large coils of razor wire blocked sidewalks at several points, though pedestrians simply went into the streets to walk around them while tourists took snapshots.
Protest leaders had called for a mass rally today, with some indicating it may be staged in the business district. However, the protesters have often changed their plans to keep security forces off-guard.
With demonstrators already laying siege to Bangkok's main shopping area, the prospect of a march in nearby Silom - both a business and tourist hub - threatened to sink the already shaken economy even further.
Troops initially moved in to block entry to Silom, patrolling some of the city's most famous sex-bar strips, which are just off the main drag. Some took positions atop buildings after searching for possible snipers and along a skywalk running above the road.
Others guarded bank buildings, ATM machines and entrances to subway and elevated rail stations.
The Red Shirt protesters were initially camped in a historic district of Bangkok. A failed April 10 attempt by security forces to flush protesters from that neighborhood erupted into the worst political violence Thailand has seen in 18 years, leaving 25 dead and hundreds wounded.
Army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said yesterday that the officers deployed on Silom Road "have the right to carry weapons to protect themselves, and (I) believe the society finds it acceptable."
After a tense face-off early yesterday, the troops pulled back almost halfway down its 2.5-kilometer length to protect a key target of the protesters, the headquarters of the Bangkok Bank, which was barricaded by razor wire.
Many of the demonstrators also pulled back, but piled rudimentary weapons at the intersection where the road begins, including bricks pulled from the sidewalks and stacks of bamboo rods.
The Red Shirts claims Bangkok Bank has close ties to the government. They have protested in front of the building previously on a smaller scale.
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