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| Bangkok faces protests against PM | Bangkok faces protests against PM |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Tens of thousands of protesters have gathered in the Thai capital, Bangkok, in a fresh bid to force Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva out of office. | Tens of thousands of protesters have gathered in the Thai capital, Bangkok, in a fresh bid to force Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva out of office. |
| The protesters are mainly supporters of the former premier, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in a 2006 coup and faces jail if he returns from exile. | The protesters are mainly supporters of the former premier, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in a 2006 coup and faces jail if he returns from exile. |
| Security forces are deployed at major sites around Bangkok. | Security forces are deployed at major sites around Bangkok. |
| Thailand's long political crisis has yet to end despite a court's removal of Mr Thaksin's allies from government. | Thailand's long political crisis has yet to end despite a court's removal of Mr Thaksin's allies from government. |
| As protesters gathered, Mr Abhisit said he would not dissolve parliament. | As protesters gathered, Mr Abhisit said he would not dissolve parliament. |
| Red shirts gather | Red shirts gather |
| Police said around 30,000 red-clad supporters of Mr Thaksin had gathered outside the main government offices in the capital, where demonstrators have been staging a sit-in for the last two weeks. | Police said around 30,000 red-clad supporters of Mr Thaksin had gathered outside the main government offices in the capital, where demonstrators have been staging a sit-in for the last two weeks. |
| 'Red shirts' rally in Bangkok | 'Red shirts' rally in Bangkok |
| The protest comes a day after Mr Abhisit's motorcade was attacked following a cabinet meeting in the resort town of Pattaya. | The protest comes a day after Mr Abhisit's motorcade was attacked following a cabinet meeting in the resort town of Pattaya. |
| The red-shirted demonstrators, from the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), claim Mr Abhisit came to power illegally, and accuse the current government of being a puppet of the military. | The red-shirted demonstrators, from the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), claim Mr Abhisit came to power illegally, and accuse the current government of being a puppet of the military. |
| Protest leaders say they expect thousands more to come from around the country for what they have called "D-Day" in their efforts to push Mr Abhisit to dissolve his four-month-old government and hold elections. | Protest leaders say they expect thousands more to come from around the country for what they have called "D-Day" in their efforts to push Mr Abhisit to dissolve his four-month-old government and hold elections. |
| Police said they believed protesters were planning to surround the residence of one of the widely respected king's top advisers and a former Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda, who has been accused by Mr Thaksin of orchestrating the coup that toppled him in 2006. | |
| Mr Thaksin, who is living in an undisclosed foreign country, said late on Tuesday that the protests would mark a "historic day for Thailand". | Mr Thaksin, who is living in an undisclosed foreign country, said late on Tuesday that the protests would mark a "historic day for Thailand". |
| "We will come peacefully but we need as many people as possible to show that the Thai people will not tolerate these politics any more," he said in a speech via video-link to supporters outside Government House. | "We will come peacefully but we need as many people as possible to show that the Thai people will not tolerate these politics any more," he said in a speech via video-link to supporters outside Government House. |
| Plea for calm | Plea for calm |
| The protestors are supporters of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra | The protestors are supporters of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra |
| The British-born Mr Abhisit came to power in December after a court ruling removed Thaksin's allies from government and the yellow-shirted anti-Thaksin protesters had closed the country's airports for a week. | The British-born Mr Abhisit came to power in December after a court ruling removed Thaksin's allies from government and the yellow-shirted anti-Thaksin protesters had closed the country's airports for a week. |
| Mr Abhisit has said that an Asian summit would go ahead as planned in Thailand this week despite the demonstrations. | Mr Abhisit has said that an Asian summit would go ahead as planned in Thailand this week despite the demonstrations. |
| "There's a group of people wanting to create chaos, but the government will do everything to restrain them," he told local television. | "There's a group of people wanting to create chaos, but the government will do everything to restrain them," he told local television. |
| "If there's rioting, we will have to do something. I can affirm there will be no violence starting from the government's side," he said. | "If there's rioting, we will have to do something. I can affirm there will be no violence starting from the government's side," he said. |
| Mr Abhisit's government is preparing to host leaders of 16 Asian nations from 10-12 April. | Mr Abhisit's government is preparing to host leaders of 16 Asian nations from 10-12 April. |
| An earlier summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations had to be postponed due to the political protests which helped usher Mr Abhisit into power. | An earlier summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations had to be postponed due to the political protests which helped usher Mr Abhisit into power. |
| The country remains deeply divided between Mr Thaksin's followers among the urban and rural poor and his foes in the traditional power cliques of the palace, military and bureaucracy. | The country remains deeply divided between Mr Thaksin's followers among the urban and rural poor and his foes in the traditional power cliques of the palace, military and bureaucracy. |