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Thailand revokes Thaksin passport Thailand revokes Thaksin passport
(about 2 hours later)
Thailand's government has revoked the personal passport of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra in the aftermath of the protests that paralysed Bangkok. Thailand's government has revoked all the passports held by ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in the aftermath of the protests that paralysed Bangkok.
An arrest warrant was issued for Mr Thaksin on Tuesday, but he is currently in exile. It leaves the exiled former leader without any legal travel documents.
Bangkok is now calm, a day after the protests ended, but troops continue to maintain a heavy security presence. An arrest warrant has also been issued for Mr Thaksin, who has been calling for a popular uprising in Thailand.
Police are still hunting for 10 key leaders of the red-shirted protesters. Three leaders are already in custody. Bangkok is now calm but under heavy security, after violent clashes between police and anti-government protesters left two dead and over 100 injured.
The finance minister is reported to have said that the government may expand its economic stimulus package in light of the recent turmoil. On Wednesday, Mr Thaksin published a statement calling on his followers to pursue their struggle through peaceful means.
'Revolution' call He blamed Monday's violent scenes in the capital solely on the government's decision to deploy the army against his red-shirted supporters.
A total of 14 protest leaders have had arrest warrants issued against them as a result of the protests, including Mr Thaksin. Status unclear
He already faces a jail term if he returns to Thailand, after being found guilty of corruption, and now he faces additional charges of inciting a public disturbance. The decision to revoke Mr Thaksin's personal passport also follows the recent disruption of a major Asian summit by his supporters. His diplomatic passport was invalidated in December.
If he does not go back home, it may get increasingly difficult to find somewhere else to live. A government spokesman said that if a person was "doing anything that could undermine the security of the nation, then we have the right to revoke the passport".
A government spokesman revealed on Wednesday that Mr Thaksin's personal passport had been withdrawn.
"If we believe the person who holds the passport is doing anything that could undermine the security of the nation, then we have the right to revoke the passport," said government spokesman Tharit Charungvat.
A state of emergency is still in force, but the streets are quietA state of emergency is still in force, but the streets are quiet
Mr Thaksin's diplomatic passport had already been revoked, in December. The BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok says the move leaves the exiled former leader with no legal travel documents - unless he can persuade another country to give him asylum.
During the red-shirted protesters' three-week-long rally, Mr Thaksin had addressed them nearly every night via a video-link. In one speech, he called for a "revolution". Until now he has been living mostly in Dubai, but it is not clear what his status there will be now he has no passport, our correspondent says.
The protests shut down large parts of Bangkok, as the demonstrators called for the current government, under Mr Abhisit, to step down and call fresh elections. The government says it has been in talks with other countries and Interpol to try to get him sent back to Thailand, where he has been sentenced to two years in prison for abuses of power when he was in office.
Troops fought running battles with protesters, who hurled petrol bombs and drove buses straight at them. Soldiers responded with live rounds, something the armed forces' chief stressed was in self-defence. He now also faces additional charges of inciting a public disturbance - for which an arrest warrant was issued by the authorities on Tuesday in the wake of the protests.
Clashes on Monday left two people dead and dozens more injured. Police are still hunting 10 key protest leaders, after three others surrendered.
Secret location
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva welcomed the end of the protests on Tuesday, but said his government would remain on guard.Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva welcomed the end of the protests on Tuesday, but said his government would remain on guard.
Thailand remains deeply divided, with little consensus over who should govern, according to the BBC's Jonathan Head, in Bangkok. He is now working from a secret location because he fears an assassination attempt, our correspondent says.
For the time being, Mr Abhisit appears to have got the upper hand after quashing the protests. Mr Abhisit has accused Mr Thaksin's supporters of stockpiling weapons for a possible armed struggle against the government.
But few analysts think this is the end of the demonstrations, especially as the group managed to mobilise 100,000 protesters in recent weeks, and even force the cancellation of a regional summit. During the three-week-long rally, Mr Thaksin addressed the red-shirted protesters nearly every night via a video-link. In one speech, he called for a "revolution".
The protests shut down large parts of Bangkok, as the demonstrators called for the current government to step down and call fresh elections.