An anti-government protest in the centre of Thailand's capital, Bangkok, has begun to break up, a BBC correspondent at the scene says. | An anti-government protest in the centre of Thailand's capital, Bangkok, has begun to break up. |
Demonstrators who had been camped around the Government House have been walking away from the area. | Large groups of demonstrators who had been camped around the Government House have been walking away from the area that has been occupied for three weeks. |
| The news follows calls by protest leaders for people to leave the area, after thousands of police and soldiers moved to tighten a cordon overnight. | The news follows calls by protest leaders for people to leave the area, after thousands of police and soldiers moved to tighten a cordon overnight. |
| Two people died in clashes involving demonstrators and residents on Monday. | Two people died in clashes involving demonstrators and residents on Monday. |
| Red-shirted protesters are demanding the resignation of PM Abhisit Vejjajiva - but he has refused and had urged them to go home. | Red-shirted protesters are demanding the resignation of PM Abhisit Vejjajiva - but he has refused and had urged them to go home. |
Protester Kannika Saikaew, 37, said: "I'm sad that we've not received justice but if we'd have stayed we would have been in danger." | On Tuesday, large groups of activists walked away from their encampment outside the main government offices. |
| I'm sad that we've not received justice but if we'd have stayed we would have been in danger Kannika SaikaewProtester |
| Several thousand protestors had erected barricades following running battles with the army and the police on Monday, but their leaders called an end to the protest fearing further violence. |
| On Tuesday, protest leader Prateep Ungsongtham Hata told the AFP news agency: "We held talks among the leaders since last night and have agreed that we will disperse our protesters for a while." | On Tuesday, protest leader Prateep Ungsongtham Hata told the AFP news agency: "We held talks among the leaders since last night and have agreed that we will disperse our protesters for a while." |
| Ms Prateep said the leaders wanted to prevent any loss of life, saying the protesters "really want to fight and sacrifice themselves so we wanted to prevent a catastrophe". | Ms Prateep said the leaders wanted to prevent any loss of life, saying the protesters "really want to fight and sacrifice themselves so we wanted to prevent a catastrophe". |
| "We are not surrendering, we are just dispersing the gathering because we have done nothing wrong," she said. | "We are not surrendering, we are just dispersing the gathering because we have done nothing wrong," she said. |
| Another protest leader, Jatuporn Pronpan, told Reuters: "We have to stop because we need to look after the lives of our supporters." | Another protest leader, Jatuporn Pronpan, told Reuters: "We have to stop because we need to look after the lives of our supporters." |
| Protester Kannika Saikaew, 37, said: "I'm sad that we've not received justice but if we'd have stayed we would have been in danger." |
| The red shirts have largely lost popular support after the violence and destruction of Monday, a BBC correspondent in Bangkok says. |
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