InfoAnda - Chaos as Thai protestors storm Asia summit

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Qimonda troubles to ease some DRAM market pain | Technology | | 26 January 2009
Yemen's Maarib oil pipeline hit by new explosion: official | | 9 September 2012
Juan Jose Campanella to direct big-screen "Heck" | 29 April 2010

Hollywood actors, studios set new contract talks | 30 January 2009

">Forum Views () ">Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Chaos as Thai protestors storm Asia summit

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Australia China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Thailand Vietnam Search Search: Chaos as Thai protestors storm Asia summit AFP - Sunday, April 12 PATTAYA, Thailand (AFP) - - Thai protesters smashed their way into a major Asian summit on Saturday, forcing the country's embattled prime minister to cancel the meeting and evacuate foreign leaders by helicopter. ADVERTISEMENT Premier Abhisit Vejjajiva declared a state of emergency in the beach resort of Pattaya after thousands stormed the summit, which was supposed to focus on the financial crisis and North Korea's rocket launch. Choppers plucked dignitaries from the roof of the luxury hotel venue after the red-shirted supporters of ousted Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra caused chaos by breaching police lines, breaking down glass doors and streaming into the building unopposed. The collapse of the summit piles more pressure on British-born Abhisit, who has pledged that his four-month-old government will heal years of political turmoil since Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 coup. "The government has a duty to take care of the leaders, who will depart from Thailand," Abhisit said in a sombre nationwide address broadcast live across all Thai television channels. The meeting -- the biggest international gathering since the G20 summit in London earlier this month -- grouped the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. Protesters said they had run out of patience with Abhisit's refusal to bow to their demands for his resignation, and that they were angry at the wounding of several supporters in earlier clashes with pro-government rivals. "The 'Red Shirts' have been asking him to resign for four months and we decided that now was the time to push him," Pichet Sukjindatong, one of the protest leaders, told AFP inside the building. Hooting horns and triumphantly chanting slogans, anti-government protesters decked out in red pushed past lines of troops who carried shields and batons but offered little resistance. They toppled metal detectors, smashed reception tables and left behind small polls of blood where some had been injured by glass. About 100 demonstrators got as far as the driveway of an adjacent building where ASEAN leaders were holding a lunch meeting to thrash out a new schedule for the talks, after protest blockades had scrapped the morning's itinerary. Hotel staff quickly cleared the restaurants and hustled bikini-clad tourists out of the pool as the protesters staged a sit-in rally at the heart of the summit, blocked by security forces with flak jackets and shotguns. Within minutes of the cancellation, several foreign leaders including Philippine President Gloria Arroyo and Abhisit himself were airlifted to a nearby military airbase where emergency planes were on standby. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was in mid-air when the chaos erupted, forcing him to turn around and head for home after a refuelling stop. The demonstrators soon dispersed and within hours all the visiting leaders had been evacuated. Abhisit made a surprise return to the summit venue late Saturday to say the state of emergency had been lifted. "We apologise to the Thai people that this incident happened. Even though the government was not responsible, it is its duty to ensure the meeting runs smoothly," he said after being escorted in by scores of soldiers. Officials did not say if or when the summit would resume -- it has already been postponed and shifted to new venues several times in an attempt to dodge the protest threat. UN chief Ban Ki-moon, who had been due to attend the talks Sunday, led expressions of regret. "I hope for an early restoration of normalcy in Thailand and for the settlement of differences through dialogue and peaceful means," he said. Political commentator Thitinan Pongsudhirak said the protest movement had seriously undermined Abhisit's troubled administration and showed there was no end in sight to months of political drama. "Their goal is to make the government unable to function -- I think certainly they have done that today," said the analyst from Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University. Oxford-educated Abhisit has repeatedly resisted calls to step down despite escalating anti-government protests both in Bangkok and at the summit. He came to power in a parliamentary vote in December after a court ruling toppled Thaksin's allies from government -- a development that came after anti-Thaksin protesters occupied Bangkok's two airports for more than a week. Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Recommend this article 5 users recommend Sign in to recommend this article » Most Recommended Stories » Related Articles: Asia Pacific Asia summit gala dinner goes on _ minus delegatesAP - 1 hour 32 minutes ago Kashmiri separatist leader to contest India electionReuters - 2 hours 39 minutes ago Separatist in Indian Kashmir to contest pollsAP - Sunday, April 12 Chaos as Thai protestors storm Asia summitAFP - Sunday, April 12 Afghan cleric defends contentious marriage lawAP - Sunday, April 12 Enlarge Photo Chaos as Thai protestors storm Asia summit Most Popular – Asia Pacific Viewed UN sounds warning after Antarctica ice shelf rips French commandos storm yacht Harry Potter actor arrested over cannabis find US navy bears down on Somali pirates Selective abortion causes 32mln excess China males View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Saturday, 11 April 2009
Suicide bomber kills 9 Sunni fighters in Iraq
US budget deficit nears $1 trillion
Thai protesters force Asia summit cancellation | International |
Bad mood, better recall, researchers find
Suicide bomber kills 9 at Iraq militia HQ
U.S. navy eyeballs Somali pirates in hostage standoff | International |
Italy quake survivors set for gloomy Easter
US-TECH Summary
UK police get more time to quiz Qaeda suspects
French commandos storm yacht
HP appeals patent dispute ruling, takes 2Q charge
Two Turkish soldiers, 7 Kurd rebels die in clashes
Suicide bomber kills 9 Sunni militiamen in Iraq | International |
Up to 5,000 rally against Georgia's Saakashvili | International |
Pope leads sombre 'Way of Cross' at Colosseum
Microsoft, in search, ad talks: AllThingsD
Palestinians: Israel must back 2-state solution
Uproar over 'news story' ad on front page of LA Times
Congresswoman wants answers on KBR contract
Turkmenistan 'flexing muscles' in Russia gas tiff
World oil glut raises risk of recovery 'crunch': IEA
Moldovan court postpones election recount request | International |
Suicide truck bomb kills 5 U.S. troops
Charities battle world's woes with technology
British police make 'Al-Qaeda plot' searches
Hopes dim in Italian search for quake survivor | International |
Selective abortion causes 32mln excess China males
Fiji president reappoints former coup leader as PM | International |
ESPN to launch Chicago sports site
Attack destroys six NATO tankers in Pakistan
Good Friday mass mourns Italian quake victims
Christian pilgrims flock to Holy City
French lawmakers reject Internet piracy bill
Morocco blames Algiers for W.Sahara truce breach | International |
US navy bears down on Somali pirates
Italy prepares state funeral for quake dead
GM eyes possible bankruptcy: WSJ
Conficker worm active, security experts say
Lawsuit: Firms sold poison gas ingredients to Iraq
Kashmiri separatist leader to contest India election | International |
Let auto firms go bust, say majority of Americans
In Baghdad, a big craze for new cars
Two Turkish soldiers, 7 Kurd rebels die in clashes | International |
French Internet piracy law defeated in parliament
Taiwan firm accuses Apple of patent infringement
Microsoft, Yahoo talking on search deal: report | Technology |
Kashmiri separatist leader to contest India election
Separatist in Indian Kashmir to contest polls
Deadly fires, tornadoes rage across US
Steve Jobs maintains grip at Apple: WSJ | Technology |
Chaos as Thai protestors storm Asia summit
Somali pirates issue hostage warning
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

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01