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| Bangkok protesters met with tear gas in fresh clashes dividing Thailand | Bangkok protesters met with tear gas in fresh clashes dividing Thailand |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The United Nations closed its main office in Bangkok on Monday, as stone-throwing protesters battled through clouds of tear gas in renewed assaults on key government buildings in the Thai capital. | The United Nations closed its main office in Bangkok on Monday, as stone-throwing protesters battled through clouds of tear gas in renewed assaults on key government buildings in the Thai capital. |
| Amid the protests aimed at toppling the government of prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, dozens of schools were shut and civil servants stayed away from work. | |
| After a weekend of chaos in pockets of Bangkok, protesters regrouped outside the heavily-barricaded prime minister's office on Monday and repeatedly clashed with the police, who fired tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets. Emboldened by their leader's vow to topple Yingluck by Wednesday, they threw rocks at police and tore away sections of barbed wire and concrete barriers. | |
| In a nationally televised appeal, Yingluck's deputy, Surapong Tovichakchaikul, called on protesters to stop hurting Thailand's image and the economy. Yingluck has not appeared in public since Saturday, but on Monday posted a picture of herself on Facebook in a meeting with senior government and police officers. | In a nationally televised appeal, Yingluck's deputy, Surapong Tovichakchaikul, called on protesters to stop hurting Thailand's image and the economy. Yingluck has not appeared in public since Saturday, but on Monday posted a picture of herself on Facebook in a meeting with senior government and police officers. |
| Using a conciliatory tone, Surapong said "the government will exercise utmost patience and adhere to nonviolent principles". | Using a conciliatory tone, Surapong said "the government will exercise utmost patience and adhere to nonviolent principles". |
| "The government would like to insist that it will lead Thailand back to peace soon," he said. | "The government would like to insist that it will lead Thailand back to peace soon," he said. |
| The protesters, who are mostly middle-class Bangkok supporters of the opposition Democrat Party, want Yingluck to step down, claiming she is a proxy for her brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. | The protesters, who are mostly middle-class Bangkok supporters of the opposition Democrat Party, want Yingluck to step down, claiming she is a proxy for her brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. |
| He was deposed in a 2006 military coup but remains central to Thailand's political crisis, and is a focal point for the protesters' hatred. | He was deposed in a 2006 military coup but remains central to Thailand's political crisis, and is a focal point for the protesters' hatred. |
| The protesters say their goal is to uproot the political machine of Thaksin, who is accused of widespread corruption and winning elections by buying voters from poor rural Thais. | The protesters say their goal is to uproot the political machine of Thaksin, who is accused of widespread corruption and winning elections by buying voters from poor rural Thais. |
| In an emailed statement to its staff, the United Nations' security department said "there could be violence [on Monday] on a large scale ... staff should avoid government offices" and other protest locations. | In an emailed statement to its staff, the United Nations' security department said "there could be violence [on Monday] on a large scale ... staff should avoid government offices" and other protest locations. |
| Many of the offices and schools closed on Monday were near the Government House, in the historic quarter of the capital, where police over the weekend fought off mobs of rock-throwing protesters armed with petrol bombs. At least three people were killed and 103 injured in skirmishes over the weekend. | Many of the offices and schools closed on Monday were near the Government House, in the historic quarter of the capital, where police over the weekend fought off mobs of rock-throwing protesters armed with petrol bombs. At least three people were killed and 103 injured in skirmishes over the weekend. |
| Many of the protesters wore raincoats and plastic bags over their heads, to protect against the sting of tear gas. | Many of the protesters wore raincoats and plastic bags over their heads, to protect against the sting of tear gas. |
| The violence has mainly been around key institutions – the Parliament, Government House and metropolitan police headquarters in the historic quarter of the capital. The area has some of Bangkok's main tourist attractions, but most of the city has been normal. | The violence has mainly been around key institutions – the Parliament, Government House and metropolitan police headquarters in the historic quarter of the capital. The area has some of Bangkok's main tourist attractions, but most of the city has been normal. |
| Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, a former deputy prime minister, says his aim is to install an unelected "people's council" to select a new prime minister. | Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, a former deputy prime minister, says his aim is to install an unelected "people's council" to select a new prime minister. |
| His sustained campaign has led to suggestions that he may have the backing of the military, which has long had a powerful influence over Thai politics. | His sustained campaign has led to suggestions that he may have the backing of the military, which has long had a powerful influence over Thai politics. |
| Suthep met Yingluck late on Sunday in the presence of top military officials, even though he has an arrest warrant against him. He later told cheering supporters that he told Yingluck the only way to end the protests was for her to step down. The military has said it is neutral in the conflict but army commander General Prayuth Chan-ocha has urged the police not to use force. | Suthep met Yingluck late on Sunday in the presence of top military officials, even though he has an arrest warrant against him. He later told cheering supporters that he told Yingluck the only way to end the protests was for her to step down. The military has said it is neutral in the conflict but army commander General Prayuth Chan-ocha has urged the police not to use force. |
| "There was no negotiation during this meeting," Suthep said. If Yingluck "listens to the people's voices and returns the power to the people obediently, we will treat Ms Yingluck Shinawatra with politeness because we all are good citizens". | "There was no negotiation during this meeting," Suthep said. If Yingluck "listens to the people's voices and returns the power to the people obediently, we will treat Ms Yingluck Shinawatra with politeness because we all are good citizens". |
| The French embassy issued one of the strongest warnings of dozens of foreign governments, urging citizens to "stay inside" to avoid the conflict on Bangkok's streets. The French School is located in a northeastern Bangkok neighbourhood where gunshots rang out over the weekend during clashes between Yingluck's supporters and opponents. | The French embassy issued one of the strongest warnings of dozens of foreign governments, urging citizens to "stay inside" to avoid the conflict on Bangkok's streets. The French School is located in a northeastern Bangkok neighbourhood where gunshots rang out over the weekend during clashes between Yingluck's supporters and opponents. |
| It was one of at least 60 schools closed in Bangkok on Monday. | It was one of at least 60 schools closed in Bangkok on Monday. |
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