Foreign Correspondence

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Thai Protesters Trap Legislators
SETH MYDANS and THOMAS FULLER
October 7, 2008

BANGKOK — Thousands of anti-government protesters surrounded Parliament on Tuesday, trapping
hundreds of legislators, cutting off power to the building and vowing to remain until the government falls.

Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat escaped over a back fence after delivering a policy
address but other members were unable to leave, according to reporters inside the building.

The siege escalated a six-week sit-in on the grounds of the nearby prime minister’s office
that has forced the government to relocate its activities to a former international airport.

Nearly 70 protesters were reportedly injured when the police attacked the rally early
Tuesday, firing tear gas and stun grenades. The protesters, some of whom were armed with
sticks and machetes, threw back tear gas canisters and hurled rocks and firecrackers.

The blockade appeared to have been well planned. Protesters distributed food and water and masks to
protect against tear gas. They set up barricades of stacked tires and secured the entrance to the Parliament.

Groups of reinforcements arrived during the afternoon, some carrying banners.

“Together we win or lose, we will know it today, we won’t give up,” said Anchalee Paireerak, a leader
of the People’s Alliance for Democracy, the anti-government group that has held street protests since May.

The People’s Alliance is a patchwork coalition of businessmen, academics and
activists who accuse the government of being a proxy for former Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a coup in 2006 and now lives in London.

They seek to modify the country’s democratic system to weaken the electoral power of the
rural poor, who formed the base of support of Thaksin and now of the ruling People Power Party.

The prime minister is a brother-in-law of Mr. Thaksin, but has sought to find a compromise with the protesters.

Their aggressive action Tuesday appeared to have derailed the early stages of talks between the
two sides. In his policy speech, before he fled the building, Mr. Somchai said, “This government is
determined to tackle economic problems and to listen to all sides to find a solution to end the crisis.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/08/world/asia/08thai.html?ref=world