"Troops clearing protesters outside rally site* Published: 14/05/2010 at 02:30 PM
* Online news: Local News
Troops opened fire in a tense stand off with protesters in the capital on Friday, where the army vowed to clear an area after clashes on Thursday left one dead and a renegade general fighting for his life. One man died from a bullet wound to the chest.
A succession of gunshots that sent residents fleeing in panic were heard close to the Suan Lum Night Bazaar, on Rama IV Road, which is popular with tourists. Protesters set fire to an empty police bus and vandalised army vehicles and a fire truck with a water cannon.
Troops were seen firing into nearby Lumpini Park, close to the anti-government red shirts' sprawling encampment, which has been fortified with razor wire, truck tyres and sharpened bamboo poles.
It was not clear if the troops were firing live ammunition, but the army has warned it would use lethal force against "terrorist elements".
After troops fired tear gas at the protesters at Witthayu intersection, protesters responded by burning a police truck and tyres outside the night bazaar, causing thick, black smoke.
A line of about 100 soldiers carrying assault rifles was seen near the park, a reporter said. Three red shirts were seen being detained by the security forces.
Army spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd said there were about 2,000 red shirt protesters in that area and they had 'intimidated authorities with weapons' so an order was given Friday morning to disperse them.
He said that security forces will not try to disperse red-shirts from their protest site on Friday.
"We haven't thought about dispersing them from the area today," Col Sansern told reporters.
He called on the protesters to leave the rally site and end the protest, saying that there is still time to return home."
quelle
derzeitiger 'ersatzplan':
statt 4 tage bangkok, 4 tage koh samui, dann rundreise kambodscha wie gehabt, und dann
* plan (a): nordthailand-rundreise und ein bier mit hrn. schneider von sunsiamtours,
* plan (b): wenn nordthailand auch nicht bereist werden soll, dann vielleicht vietnam-rundreise.
wir hoffen nachwievor, auch für die thais, dass sich die lage bis juli beruhigt hat, und eine lösung in aussicht steht.
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