Tuesday 2 September 2008


EMERGENCY IS DECLARED IN BANGKOK

Seth Mydans and Thomas Fuller

International Herald Tribune, September 2, 2008

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej imposed a state of emergency Tuesday in Bangkok after groups of demonstrators clashed on the street, but he called it "the most gentle way to bring the country back to peace" and said it would be in force for only a short time.

The prime minister, who has been under pressure to resign from a weeklong occupation of the grounds of his office compound, imposed the emergency after a predawn street fight between pro-government and anti-government groups that left at least one person dead and dozens injured.

Shortly afterward, in another blow to the government, the Election Commission recommended that Samak's People Power Party be disbanded for electoral fraud.

The vote in the five-member commission was unanimous in recommending that the Supreme Court disband the party because of vote buying in last December's general election.

The ruling, which could bring down the government, could take months to make its way through the courts.

Samak ordered troops into the streets to reinforce riot police officers, but after quelling the violence, they withdrew and the area around the prime minister's office was calm in mid-morning.

(...) [artículo aquí]

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