Word: abhisit
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Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva defied the demands of his opponents Monday morning, telling the country in a televised statement that he would neither resign nor dissolve the House of Representatives, as tens of thousands of red-shirted demonstrators laid siege to the army base where government and security officials are monitoring the protests...
...cannot answer the demands of the protesters," an outwardly calm Abhisit said during the televised press conference as he was flanked by leaders of the parties that form his coalition government. "I have listened to the protesters, but I also have to listen to other groups in society who want the government...
...Despite the show of unity by coalition partners and the government's confidence that it can manage the protests that swelled to 100,000 this weekend, Abhisit's ability to outlast the demonstrations is unclear considering the potential volatility of the situation. By late Monday afternoon, an army spokesman said four hand grenades had been launched from pickup trucks at Bangkok's main army base. Abhisit has already invoked special security laws and 30,000 troops have been posted to the capital to maintain order. Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said that some red shirts want to provoke the military into...
...Abhisit assured that the army would not use force against the demonstrators, while urging them not to break laws. He accused protest leaders of trying to incite their followers by playing a doctored tape in which Abhisit supposedly told military leaders to shoot demonstrators during disturbances last April. Abhisit's government came to power in December 2008 in a coalition that was reportedly stitched together with help from military leaders. (See pictures from Thailand's April 2009 protests...
...protesters had been marching since early morning from the old quarter of Bangkok several miles away, where some 100,000 of them had gathered Sunday evening to demand Abhisit call a new election. As they marched, they were cheered on by workers who migrated to Bangkok from rural areas, and ignored or looked at with disdain by middle-class residents of the capital who fear a repeat of the violence the demonstrators wrought during a similar protest last April...