Forum Views () 
Forum Replies ()  
 
 
Read more with google mobile :
Thai "red shirts" briefly storm parliament grounds  
 
 
 
 
 
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
 
 
 
Australia
China
India
 Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Philippines
Thailand
Vietnam
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thai "red shirts" briefly storm parliament grounds
 
 
  
 
 Reuters - 1 hour 33 minutes ago
 
 
Send
 
IM Story
 
Print
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
By Pracha Hariraksapitak and Kitiphong Thaicharoen
 
BANGKOK - "Red shirt" protesters briefly occupied the grounds of Thailand's parliament on Wednesday as they stepped up pressure on the government to call an election.
 
Hundreds of protesters, who have already forced the capital's main shopping district to close since Saturday, pushed through a thin line of riot police, but then left after about 20 minutes and massed outside the building.
 
Ministers had held a cabinet meeting inside the building earlier but had left before the protesters broke through.
 
The red-shirted supporters of ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had said they would target Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, whose military-backed government is under mounting pressure to call an election after nearly four weeks of protests. Tens of thousands of "red shirts" have occupied Bangkok's Rachaprasong intersection since Saturday, rejecting demands by the government to leave an area lined with department stores, which have remained shut, and luxury hotels.
 
"From today, we will target our actions on people, places and activities connected with Mr. Abhisit," protest leader Nattawut Saikua said to reporters after telling the crowd they would take the rally "to the next level."
 
Thai stocks and the baht currency rose on confidence that the government, with its support from military top brass and the royalist establishment, will survive the increasingly bold showdown with the mostly rural and working class protesters.
 
Despite the gains, Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij said prolonged protests could inflict damage on the economy, Southeast Asia's second biggest, by causing output this year to be "significantly worse" than a government projection of 4.5 percent growth and possibly delay an expected interest rate rise.
 
Most economists expect Thailand' benchmark interest rate to rise in June from a record low of 1.25 percent. It would be "intolerable" for the economy if the demonstrations last another month, Korn told Reuters in Vietnam.
 
INTERNAL SECURITY ACT EXTENDED
 
The government extended a tough Internal Security Act that allows troops to impose order, but there was no sign of an imminent crackdown. The army, which is central in the balance of power, is refusing to use force to disperse the crowd.
 
Army chief Anupong Paojinda said there was no justification to move in despite pressure from Abhisit to impose the law, an unidentified source told The Bangkok Post newspaper.
 
"We can't since it will cause losses," the source quoted Anupong as telling Abhisit. "They all are Thais."
 
Foreign investors have been ploughing money into the fast-recovering economies of Southeast Asia and have not left Thailand out despite the turbulence. Since February 22 foreigners have bought a net $1.73 billion of Thai stocks.
 
"It's likely to be a volatile session but the big picture is that the market is still in a positive mood. Fund flows into the region were quite good yesterday and oil prices will support energy stocks," broker Philip Securities said in a research note.
 
Thai stocks, which have risen more than 80 percent over the past 12 months, were up 1.3 percent at the midsession break, just after the incident at parliament.
 
There is concern, however, the crisis could squeeze longer-term foreign direct investment, or FDI, which was has been volatile since a 2006 military coup ousted the twice-elected Thaksin after allegations of corruption and nepotism.
 
"I've been getting a sense for the first time in the more than three years since the coup that FDI -- including our client base -- is really taking a hard look at Thailand long-term because of this," said Roberto Herrera-Lim, an analyst at Eurasia Group, a consultancy.
 
"They see that the conflict is much deeper than the elite conflict of the past."
 
Abhisit is facing pressure from Bangkok's elite and middle class and even his own government to halt the rally, but has held back to avert a confrontation that many believe would cause even greater damage. Threats to arrest the protesters have not been carried out, emboldening the movement.
 
The "red shirts" have taken aim at the urbane, Oxford- and Eton-educated economist, whom they see as a front man for an unelected elite and military that is secretly intervening in politics and operating with impunity.
 
They say Abhisit, who came to power in a 2008 parliamentary vote after courts dissolved a pro-Thaksin ruling party, should call an election and let the people choose their government. "Red shirt" leaders say they will respect the result.
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
Recommend
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Send
 
IM Story
 
Print
 
 
 
 
 
 
Related Articles
 
 
Fiji regime moves to extend its control over media AP -  14 minutes ago
 
Thai protesters break into Parliament AP -  35 minutes ago
 
Thai "red shirts" briefly storm parliament grounds Reuters - 1 hour 31 minutes ago
 
China leads East Asia out of crisis: World Bank AFP -  41 minutes ago
 
Australia to pump oil from ship stuck on reef AP -  43 minutes ago
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
News Search
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Top Stories
 
 
 
 
Spread dread for Greece as debt confusion roils investors
Renault set for new tie-up with Daimler
Greece not seeking to amend EU-IMF deal
Total charged with graft in Iraqi oil-for-food programme
Antenna glitch on historic space shuttle flight
 
 
 
 More Top Stories »
 
 
 
ADVERTISEMENT
 
  
 
 
 
 
Most Popular
 
 
 
 
Most Viewed
 
Most Recommended
 
 
 
 
Angelie Jolie, Brad Pitt visit Bosnia refugees: UN
 
Spread dread for Greece as debt confusion roils investors
 
Antenna glitch on historic space shuttle flight
 
Total charged with graft in Iraqi oil-for-food programme
 
Renault set for new tie-up with Daimler
 
 
 More Most Viewed »
 
 
 
 
 
'Rare' fossil of new dinosaur species found in US
 
Hollywood stars help prevent suicide after Twitter alert
 
Junkies and junk-food addicts share craving mechanism
 
Toad is a telltale for impending quakes: scientists
 
 
 More Most Recommended »
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
 
 
 
 
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
 
 
Stars and latest movies
 
 
Best travel destinations
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
More on Yahoo! News
 
 
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
 
Also on Yahoo
 
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
 
Site Highlights
 
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
World Cup 2010
 
 
 
 Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
  
   
 
 
    
   
 
Other News on Wednesday,  7 April 2010 Baghdad blasts kill 35, destroy seven buildings  
Predator priest cases in Italy only 'tip of iceberg': lawyer  
Protesters seek change in Egypt, scuffle with police  
US court deals setback to regulators over 'net neutrality'  
Palestinian fears U.S. Mideast push in trouble
|  
Tears, anger as Italians mark year since L'Aquila quake  
Canadian researchers uncover China-based online spy network  
Greece not seeking to amend EU-IMF deal  
IAEA inspects Syria reactor in uranium traces probe
|  
Russia names second metro suicide bomber  
Spread dread for Greece as debt confusion roils investors  
Arrest Warrant Issued For Rapper Coolio After Court Hearing Snub  
YouTube drops Moscow attack claim video after Russian protest  
Maid Agrees To Drop Suit Against Kim Kardashian  
Baghdad blasts kill 35, destroy seven buildings
|  
RIM releases new BlackBerry app development tools  
Sean Penn Facing Lawsuit Over Alleged Paparazzo Death Threat  
Comcast wins Web traffic fight against FCC  
U.N. chief will press for abolition of nuclear arms
|  
Nokia, others to follow Apple in tablet push  
Tiger Woods And George Lopez Have Locker Room Encounter  
German minister slams Facebook over data protection  
Bodies of nine Mumbai gunmen buried secretly in January
|  
China cyber-spies target India, Dalai Lama: report  
Nokia, others to follow Apple in tablet push  
New US policy limits role of nuclear arsenal  
Nuclear weapons only in 'extreme circumstances': US  
27 Taliban reported killed in western fighting  
AOL says to sell or shut down Bebo in 2010
|  
Apple's iPad debuts strongly, but key tests remain
|  
CIA victim said to have rescued future Afghan pres  
Protesters clash with police in Kyrgyzstan  
Canadian researchers uncover China-based online spy network  
RIM releases new BlackBerry app development tools
|  
Brandy Discusses Upcoming New Album  
Indian Maoists kill 75 in police massacre  
Annual Beer Sold Out Ahead Of Time  
Red Shirt protesters flood streets of Thai capital  
Spirit Airlines Begins Charging Passengers For Carry-On Luggage  
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary  
Short-term solution on Tibet unlikely, says Dalai Lama  
Fed Sees Strengthening Recovery, But Expects Static Spending  
Professor Killed During Home Invasion In Plantation  
Rescuers race to reach 32 trapped in China mine  
Shares Of Massey Energy Slammed By Mine Explosion  
Ally McBeal Season Two Gets DVD Release  
Maoist rebels kill 76 soldiers in eastern India  
Police disperse protesters in Kyrgyzstan  
Lady Gaga, Soundgarden Confirmed For Lollapalooza 2010  
Law Graduate Charged With Threatening Deadly Force To Stop Abortion  
Renault set for new tie-up with Daimler  
President Obama Hosts Christian Clergy From Across The Nation  
Cambodian PM sets Chevron oil production deadline  
Shanghai mayor visits Taipei amid protests  
Report: China-based hackers stole India secrets  
Festival celebrates the resurgence of TV series  
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary  
UK actor, activist Corin Redgrave dies aged 70  
"Date Night" hits home for Tina Fey, Steve Carell  
Traditional French cafés innovate to survive  
Actor Corey Haim bought more than 550 pills before death
|  
Movie ticket sales strong despite price hike
|  
Annual Beer Sold Out Ahead Of Time  
Sheep Deaths, Experiments Linked To UFOs  
Couple Charged With Theft After Not Returning Cash Found In Suitcase  
Suspected Car Thief Dies After Turning Lights Off During Police Chase  
Mass Arrest Follows New York City Gang Melee  
Swedish Tin Can Collector Died A Millionaire  
81-Year-Old Great-Grandmother Suing For Back Child Support  
British Couple Lose Appeal Over Public Kissing  
Women Steal Easter Offerings From Church  
"Miracle" Rescue Finds 115 Alive In Flooded Chinese Mine  
Iraq in 'open war' with Qaeda after Baghdad bombs  
Former Norwegian bishop 'admits' child abuse  
Tradition, Taliban threats give Afghans a dilemma  
Thai red shirts briefly storm parliament grounds
|  
White House: Graphic Iraq shooting video 'tragic'  
Thirty-five killed as six bombs rock Baghdad  
In first Russia, Polish PMs to honour Katyn WWII victims  
US court deals setback to regulators over 'net neutrality'  
White House hints Karzai visit could be in doubt  
Police clash with protesters in restive Kyrgyzstan
|  
South Sudan party to boycott elections in north  
AOL to sell or close Bebo  
No deaths in Indonesia quake; tsunami alert lifted
|  
Palestinian fears U.S. Mideast push in trouble  
US-TECH Summary  
China cyber-spies target India, Dalai Lama: report
|  
Antitrust senator seeks Google/AdMob scrutiny  
IAEA inspects Syria reactor in uranium traces probe  
One killed, 11 hurt in French factory explosion
|  
Comcast wins Web traffic fight against FCC  
AOL says to sell or shut down Bebo in 2010  
North Korea sentences U.S. man to 8 years hard labor
|  
Spread dread for Greece as debt confusion roils investors  
China cyber-spies target India, Dalai Lama: report  
China tightens rules on Internet cafes  
Kyrgyz opposition clashes with police in capital  
Rescuers race to reach 31 trapped in China mine  
Survivors of sunken SKorean ship describe ordeal  
Thai "red shirts" briefly storm parliament grounds  
Asian allies welcome new US nuclear stance  
China cyber-spies target India, Dalai Lama: report
|  
'Red Shirt' protesters storm Thai parliament  
Obama limits U.S. use of nuclear arms  
Antitrust senator seeks Google/AdMob scrutiny
|  
Histamine-Tainted Frozen Tuna Steak Sparks Recall  
Rescuers gear up for new effort after deadly mine blast  
Afghan suicide blast kills civilian, injures 15  
Judge Rules Iran Must Pay $1.3 Billion To Beirut Bombing Victims  
Thai protesters retreat after storming parliament grounds  
U.S. Retail Sales Jump Last Week On Easter Holiday  
Kyrgyz opposition vows to go ahead with rallies  
NYC Unicyclists Bridge Gap Between Cyclists Non-cyclists  
Adam Lambert To Mentor "American Idol" Contestants  
U.S. Markets Finish Mixed As Fed Comments Provide Late Boost  
Obama Announces Plan to Restrict Risks of U.S. Nuclear Strikes  
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary  
7.7 quake strikes off Indonesia's Sumatra island  
No deaths in Indonesia quake; tsunami alert lifted  
Panic as major quake hits Indonesia  
S.Korea buys over $1 bln to curb won's rise -traders  
7.8 quake strikes off Indonesia's Sumatra island  
USGS: 7.8 quake off Sumatra  
India's 3G auction set to start Friday  
Japan central bank stays put on interest rates  
At 100 episodes, "Bones" not ready for burial yet  
World Bank: East Asia needs reform to keep growing  
Magnitude 7.8 quake shakes Indonesia  
Seoul shares finish flat; techs, banks retreat  
Bank of Japan keeps interest rate unchanged at 0.1 pct  
Jim Carrey, Jenny McCarthy reveal split on Twitter
|  
Report: Japan Airlines to speed up mass job cuts  
Modern Family cast strategizes Emmy submissions
|  
Buzz Aldrin voted off Dancing With the Stars
|  
Toyota to aggressively defend safety record: US exec  
"Modern Family" cast strategizes Emmy submissions  
At 100 episodes, Bones not ready for burial yet
|  
PAKISTAN  
Adam Lambert to mentor American Idol finalists
|  
Fed not ready for exit strategy: minutes  
Soundgarden, Lady Gaga headline Lollapalooza
|  
Playboy photographers find reality TV hard work
|  
Adam Lambert to mentor 'American Idol' finalists  
Buzz Aldrin voted off "Dancing With the Stars"  
Guitarist Slash finally goes solo for new album  
Playboy photographers find reality TV hard work  
Jim Carrey, Jenny McCarthy reveal split on Twitter  
Actor Corey Haim bought more than 550 pills before death  
Jeff Koons paints BMW for Le Mans  
Afghan election commission chiefs step down  
Top judge to be tried for Spain atrocioties probe  
Troops fire on Kyrgyz anti-government protests, many killed
|  
Vodafone to offer Web via Opera in emerging markets  
Eurozone growth halts in last quarter of 2009  
U.S.-Israeli dispute still unresolved: Netanyahu
|  
Iran's president attacks Obama on nuclear threat
|  
Bangladesh convicts, jails 29 paramilitary mutineers
|  
Iraqi police foil teenage would-be suicide bomber
|  
Comcast Ruling Reignites Net Neutrality Debate  
UK's Brown, Cameron trade blows over economy, defense
|  
Al Qaeda members land in Somalia from Yemen: government
|  
Russia, Poland eye reconciliation at WWII mass grave
|  
Afghanistan plays down Karzai's anti-West remarks
|  
Jim Carrey, Jenny McCarthy split -- via Twitter  
IMF experts in Athens as crisis hits euro  
Four WV Miners Still Missing As Rescuers Drill Holes To Release Methane  
Man Charged With Threatening To Kill Senator Over Healthcare Vote  
Discovery maneuvers to dock with space station  
Egg-Based Breakfast May Be Effective Weight-Loss Tool  
Govt: At least 180 wounded in Kyrgyzstan protests  
Tribeca Film Festival Features To Be Available On Video On Demand  
Giant lizard discovered in the Philippines  
Eleventh Rendering Of "Doctor Who" To Premiere On BBC America  
China, India agree to set up hot line for leaders  
Tina Fey, Aaron Johnson To Appear On "Friday Night With Jonathan Ross"  
Report: Kyrgyz protesters kill interior minister  
Discovery Shuttle Docks At Space Station  
Bangladesh sentences 29 guards over deadly mutiny  
Scrabble Maker Changes Proper Noun Use  
HHS Secretary Sebelius Warns Americans Against Health Insurance 'Crooks'  
NKorea sentences US man to 8 years of hard labor  
Car giants eye profits in new tie-up  
China battles to save 29 missing in mine  
Rescuers in fading bid to save 29 from China mine  
Bangkok under emergency after Parliament stormed  
Geithner to visit Beijing amid currency dispute  
Pakistani stocks up; rupee firms, o/n rates flat  
China to resume 3-year bond sales  
Car giants launch new partnership  
Japan's video game visionary: the console is dying
|  
Shares rise on optimism over global economy  
Google to face copyright lawsuit by visual artists
|  
Treasury Secretary Geithner to visit Beijing  
China shares mixed on policy tightening worries  
Vodafone to offer Web via Opera in emerging markets
|  
Nokia, others seen following Apple in tablet push
|  
US says funds raised for Shanghai Expo pavilion  
Report: Japan Airlines to speed up mass job cuts  
World Bank: East Asia needs reform to keep growing  
7.7 quake strikes off Indonesia's Sumatra island  
Indonesian woman wanted to be martyr, court hears  
Illness forces Whitney Houston to delay Euro tour  
WHO mobilises 1,000 cities in urban health drive  
Unite to recover looted artefacts, Egypt forum told  
TV series Treme puts New Orleans back on map
|  
'Five-a-day' has limited impact on cancer risk  
Lloyd Webber delays Broadway opening due to health
|  
Jim Carrey, Jenny McCarthy reveal split on Twitter
|  
Whitney Houston postpones more dates after illness  
Whitney Houston in hospital with nose, throat problem  
Whitney Houston postpones more dates after illness
|  
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro  
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found  
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever  
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production  
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time  
AMD to Start Production of piledriver  
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs  
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia  
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air  
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch  
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent  
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up  
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform  
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis  
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets  
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights