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The "red shirts" say they had intended to protest peacefully but became infuriated when blue-shirted, pro-government vigilantes arrived, armed with clubs, bricks and slingshots. Thaksin alleged these were police and soldiers in disguise.
Reuters News
A summit of Asian leaders in Thailand was canceled on Saturday after anti-government protesters swarmed into the meeting's venue, renewing doubts about the durability of the government.....
....The East Asia Summit brings together the 10 member nations of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand for discussions about trade, economic issues and regional security..
On Thursday, the red shirts held the city of Bangkok hostage. They blocked major roads and intersections, including Victory Monument, effectively paralysing the city. The government did nothing. Give them an inch, and they'll take a mile. Give them one city, and they'll take another.
On Saturday, the red shirts broke into the Royal Cliff Beach Resort in Pattaya, site of the Asean summit. They smashed through the glass doors of the convention hall and ran through the building, overturning tables, blowing horns, waving Thai flags and screaming "Abhisit get out!"
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said here Saturday that China still hopes the meetings related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit can be held despite anti-government protests.
Wen made the remarks at a news briefing in the Dusit Thani hotel, where Chinese and South Korean representatives stay.
He said the fact that leaders of most of the invited countries came for the summits demonstrated their strong will to act together to fight the current global financial crisis.
Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said he hoped the summit could be rescheduled within the next few months, and warned protesters that "very tough standards will be applied to them very soon."...
....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.
The red-shirted people formed a line and kept advancing until the two sides stood confronting less than one meter apart and the clash broke out. The red-shirted protesters were seen carrying Molotov cocktails but none had been thrown at the other side yet.