Thai PM Declares State of Emergency

ZHANG:
The Thai prime minister has declared a state of emergency. Protesters from the opposition party, the People's Alliance for Democracy, or PAD, are laying siege to the Bangkok airport.

STORY:
Members of the People's Alliance for Democracy continue their protests at two of Bangkok's airports.

The protest, now into its third day, has forced flights to be canceled and has left thousands of tourists stranded in the capital.

The PAD are refusing to move, and they say what they are doing is for the interest of Thai people.

[Somsak Kosaisuk, PAD Leader]:
"It all depends on them (police and military). But whoever attack us, we will fight until we die because what we are doing now is for the country."

The PAD are calling for prime minister Somchai Wongsawat's resignation. Wongsawat is ousted prime Minster Thaksin Shinawatra's brother-in law. The PAD accuse Somchai of being his puppet.

The prime minister is due to hold a cabinet meeting to discuss measures to be taken against the party.

[Somsak Kosaisuk, PAD Leader]:
"I think they should not attend the cabinet meeting. They cannot have a meeting here then they wanted to hold the meeting in Chiang Mai. What we are doing is to show them that we know what they plan to do. This caused some ministers not to join the meeting. Those ministers might have to figure out, what they should do."

Somchai is refusing to step down and says he was democratically elected to lead the country.

Pressure is now building for the military to intervene in the growing political crisis which is threatening to spread into widespread civil unrest.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Ntd
• NTDTV
• news
• Thai
• PM
• Emergency
• Protesters
• opposition
• party
• PAD
• Bangkok
• airport
• tourists
• military
• resignation
• Wongsawat

[thrambone]

PAD get out of the airport. You've made a big mistake.

[monkeybike]

Lol, while watching this I got a popup ad telling me how I could get a cheap flight to Bangkok. Oh the irony!

[XMARINEmax]

Obviously PAD Anti-democracy movement don't understand true democracy itself. They are doing the military's job and will let in a non-elected corrupt miltary backed puppet regime. The present governement were actually democratically elected by a majority.

[classic77a]

rurouni9 Don't call me an idiot. The US government themselves are a bunch of fascists. The NED funded American centre for International Labor solidarity have funded the unions that support PAD. Do you expect the US to admit to all its dodgy dealings. You are the idiot.

[rurouni9]

Congratulations you are an idiot. The US just denounced the PAD yesterday for what they are, a bunch of fascists...

[classic77a]

The Peoples Alliance For Democracy (PAD) are funded by the US government through the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). NED only funds pro-American elites who form dictatorships. Check out the website of the International Endowment for Democracy for articles about NED toppling democratic governments. This video shows the shocking truth about the CIA and NEDs activities watch?v=kphGgtVm3F0