Prime Minister of Thailand, Abhisit Vejjajiva, has canceled his trip to Hanoi, Vietnam, to participate in the ASEAN Leaders Summit. Today, Abhisit is scheduled to attend the meeting with the leaders of the Red-Shirt, support groups for Thaksin Sinawatra.
The decision not to present at the ASEAN Summit did shortly after announcing the state of emergency. "Prime Minister has cancelled his trip to the ASEAN Leaders Summit to view and oversee the domestic situation," said Satit Wonghnongtaey, head of the prime minister's office.
Today, Abhisit announces state of emergency in Bangkok and five other provinces, because increasing the amount of mass action involving the Red-Shirt. At first, Abhisit will still going to Hanoi to attend the opening session and then returned to Bangkok on the same day. Friday, Abhisit will fly to Hanoi again to attend the second day of the ASEAN Summit. However, this scenario might be cancelled.
State of emergency in Bangkok and five other provinces give authority to the military to detain or take people without court orders after the protesters stormed the parliament complex on Wednesday. Military checkpoints built near Bangkok to stop the protesters into the city. This conditions at once increases the risk of confrontation on the outskirts of the city.
A Red-Shirt leader, Weng Tojirakarn, states will not stop the demonstration if the government did not heed their wishes. "We can not sit idly by and not act, this is our right," Weng said to Reuters.
He did not reject the idea of negotiating with the government, although in previous television discussions to no avail. "If Abhisit keep asking and proposing negotiations again, we're open to it, but before it can be done he should stop thinking of us as the enemy," said Weng.
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