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Thai PM Yingluck Shinawatra has been summoned by an anti-corruption panel to hear charges of negligence over a government rice subsidy scheme.
Yingluck Shinawatra’s opponents, who are seeking to replace her, say the program was rife with corruption.
If found guilty, the prime minister could be removed from office and face a five-year ban from politics.
Thailand’s political crisis has become increasingly violent since mass anti-government protests began in November.
Yingluck Shinawatra, who flew to the northern city of Chiang Rai on Wednesday, will not attend the hearing at the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) in person.
NACC officials say she will be represented by her lawyer, who will hear the charges set against her.
The prime minister, who denies the corruption charges, says she is willing to co-operate with the NACC “to establish the facts”.
Yingluck Shinawatra has been summoned by an anti-corruption panel to hear charges of negligence over a government rice subsidy scheme
The rice subsidy programme – a flagship policy of Yingluck Shinawatra’s administration – saw the Thai government buying farmers’ crops for the past two years at prices up to 50% higher than world prices.
The policy was originally popular with farmers. However, it has led to Thailand’s rice exports being badly hit and accumulated losses of at least $4.4 billion.
Recently, the scheme has left many farmers out of pocket, as the government cannot borrow money to make the payments until a new parliament has convened.
Yingluck Shinawatra says she was only in charge of formulating the policy, not the day-to-day running of the scheme. She has also complained that the commission has treated her unfairly.
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The death toll from a blast in Bangkok rose to three on Monday.
On Sunday, an apparent grenade blast near an anti-government protest site killed a woman and a four-year-old boy.
Doctors said on Monday that the little boy’s sister died later of brain injuries.
Twenty-two people were hurt in Sunday’s blast, including a nine-year-old boy who is in intensive care.
An apparent grenade blast near anti-government protest site killing a woman and a 4-year-old boy
Sunday’s attack came hours after gunmen opened fire on an anti-government rally in eastern Thailand, killing a five-year-old girl.
Thai PM Yingluck Shinawatra has condemned the attacks, describing them as “terrorist acts for political gain”.
UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon has also spoken out, calling for violence “from any quarter” to end immediately.
Meanwhile, the Thai army chief says the military will not intervene with force in the country’s crisis.
Thailand’s political crisis has become increasingly violent since mass protests began in November.
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A five-year-old girl has been killed and dozens of other people wounded after gunmen have opened fire on an anti-government rally in eastern Thailand.
Attackers threw explosives and shot at demonstrators at a rally called by the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).
The incident took place at a night market in the Khao Saming district of Trat province late on Saturday.
Tensions across Thailand have escalated since a wave of anti-government protests began in November.
The demonstrators want PM Yingluck Shinawatra to resign to make way for an appointed interim government, but she has refused.
On Tuesday several people were killed in clashes that erupted in Bangkok, when police began clearing protest sites.
Attackers threw grenades and sprayed the crowd with bullets at a night market in the Khao Saming district of Trat province
The latest attack occurred about 180 miles south-east of Bangkok.
Officials said the five-year-old girl had been standing at a noodle stall when the attackers, in two pick-up trucks, opened fire at the PDRC rally. She died from a gunshot wound to the head.
At least 30 other people are believed to have been injured. Another child is said to be in a critical condition.
PDRC spokesman Suwicharn Suwannakha said the attack happened during a speech by a party leader, Thai newspaper The Nation reported.
Suwicharn Suwannakha said he first heard the explosions and gunfire and then saw chairs in front of the stage scattered.
No group has so far said it carried out the attack.
There has been growing frustration recently from the red shirts over the government’s inability to disperse the protesters, who have been occupying parts of central Bangkok for weeks.
Red-shirt leaders have organized a mass gathering in north-eastern Thailand this weekend to decide how they should fight back against the campaign to unseat the government.
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Thai constitutional court has rejected an opposition request to annul the February 2 election, citing insufficient grounds.
The Democrat Party had argued that the poll violated the constitution for several reasons, including that it was not completed in one day.
The government blamed the delay on the opposition blocking polling stations.
Thailand has been in a political crisis since mass anti-government protests kicked off in November.
They were sparked by a controversial amnesty bill which critics said would allow former leader Thaksin Shinawatra to return to Thailand without serving time in jail for his corruption conviction.
The demonstrators have since called for the resignation of PM Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin’s sister, and her government.
Yingluck Shinawatra had called the election in the hope of defusing the crisis.
Thai constitutional court has rejected an opposition request to annul the February 2 election
But the Democrats refused to contest the election – which they were almost certain to lose – arguing that reform of Thailand’s political system must come first.
The constitutional court annulled a previous election seven years ago for seemingly trifling irregularities.
It has also twice dissolved previous incarnations of the ruling Pheu Thai party and twice forced prime ministers from office.
This time though, the court dismissed the petition saying there was no credible evidence that the election had violated the constitution.
The opposition movement has not exhausted legal avenues for blocking the government, our correspondent says.
They are still hoping an official corruption investigation into Yingluck Shinawatra and other ministers will prevent her from forming a new government.
Wiratana Kalayasiri, a former opposition lawmaker and head of the Democrat Party’s legal team, who brought the opposition petition to court, said: “This case is over.”
“But if the government does anything wrong again, we will make another complaint,” he told the AFP news agency.
Millions were prevented from voting because anti-government protesters forced the closure of hundreds of polling stations in Bangkok and in the south on election day.
It means the results of the election cannot be announced until special polls have been held in the constituencies that missed out on the February 2 vote.
The Election Commission said on Tuesday that those elections will be held on April 27.
However, no decision has yet been made on the 28 constituencies where no candidates stood in the election.
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Thailand’s general election has been disrupted by protests with voting being halted in parts of Bangkok and the south, but officials say that 89% of polling stations operated normally.
Some six million registered voters were affected by the closures, the Election Commission said.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra called the vote to head off weeks of mass protests.
Her party is widely expected to win but legal challenges and a lack of a quorum of MPs may create a political limbo.
Security has been heavy throughout Thailand, with vast areas under a state of emergency.
“The situation overall is calm and we haven’t received any reports of violence this morning,” National Security Council chief Paradorn Pattanatabutr told Reuters.
Security officials said about 130,000 personnel had been deployed across Thailand on Sunday, including 12,000 in Bangkok.
Thailand’s general election has been disrupted by protests with voting being halted in parts of Bangkok and the south
There has been little campaigning for the election and it was unclear how many Thais had turned out.
Yingluck Shinawatra, who won the last election in 2011, voted soon after polls opened near her Bangkok home.
Protests prevented voting from taking place in 438 of Bangkok’s 6,671 polling stations, and there was no voting at all in nine southern provinces.
The government said there was no disruption in the north and north-east of the country.
Yingluck Shinawatra’s Pheu Thai party has overwhelming support in these regions, while the south and parts of the capital are strongholds of the opposition Democrat Party, which is boycotting the election.
Demonstrators blocked access to voters at some polling stations in the capital and prevented ballot papers reaching those polling stations.
Some voters expressed frustration when they found their local polling stations blocked.
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The Thai polling has now ended in a general election boycotted by the opposition and blighted by protests.
Anti-government activists forced some polling stations in Bangkok and the south to close but a large majority elsewhere were said to be peaceful.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra called the vote to head off weeks of mass protests aimed at forcing her to resign.
Her party is widely expected to win but legal challenges and a lack of a quorum of MPs may create a political limbo.
Yingluck Shinawatra, who won the last election in 2011, voted soon after polls opened on Sunday near her Bangkok home.
Her opponents took to the streets in November after her government tried to pass an amnesty law that would potentially have allowed her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, to return from exile.
Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister who fled during a court case in 2008, is reviled by the protesters, who say he controls the government from abroad.
Security has been heavy throughout Thailand, with vast areas under a state of emergency because of the protests.
“The situation overall is calm and we haven’t received any reports of violence this morning,” National Security Council chief Paradorn Pattanatabutr told Reuters.
Security officials said about 130,000 personnel had been deployed across Thailand on Sunday, including 12,000 in Bangkok.
Yingluck Shinawatra, who won the last election in 2011, voted soon after polls opened on Sunday near her Bangkok home
There has been little campaigning for the election and it was unclear how many Thais had turned out.
Voting in 13 of Bangkok’s 33 constituencies, and in 37 of 56 constituencies in the south was disrupted.
These are strongholds of the opposition Democrat Party, which is boycotting the election.
Some voters expressed frustration when they found their local polling stations blocked.
One high-profile politician, independent candidate and anti-corruption campaigner Chuwit Kamolvisit, brawled with anti-election activists.
“They tried to attack me while I was trying to vote,” he said.
Polling in the rural north and east, where Yingluck Shinawatra’s Pheu Thai party has overwhelming support, was largely unaffected.
“Today is an important day,” Yingluck Shinawatra said as she voted.
“I would like to invite Thai people to come out and vote to uphold democracy.”
However, disruption to candidate registration means that even if she wins, there will not be enough MPs in parliament for Yingluck Shinawatra to have full power over government policy, and by-elections will be needed.
The opposition is also likely to mount legal challenges to the election.
Yingluck Shinawatra’s party is already facing a host of challenges in the courts aiming to disband it, as has happened with pro-Thaksin parties in the past.
The Democrat Party, which is allied to the protesters, has been unable to win a majority in parliament for more than two decades.
Many of its members want the government to be replaced by an unelected “people’s council” that would oversee wide reform of the political system.
Trouble broke out in Bangkok on Saturday in a violent clash between pro- and anti-government groups.
A gun battle erupted in the Lak Si constituency as anti-government protesters blockaded a building storing ballot papers. At least seven people were wounded.
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Violent clashes involving anti-government protesters have erupted ahead of Sunday’s elections in Thai capital, Bangkok.
According to local media, several people have been injured by gunfire.
The violence erupted during a stand-off between supporters and opponents of PM Yingluck Shinawatra.
The shots were fired as demonstrators blockaded a building where ballot papers are being stored, in an attempt to prevent their distribution.
Protesters want the government replaced by an unelected “people’s council”.
The opposition has vowed to boycott Sunday’s poll, which is likely to be won by Yingluck Shinawatra.
The incident took place in Bangkok’s Laksi district, a stronghold of the prime minister’s Pheu Thai party.
Thai protesters want Yingluck Shinawatra’s government replaced by an unelected people’s council
A number of people could be seen lying injured on the road, as exchanges of gunfire continued, forcing reporters and passers-by to flee for cover.
It was not immediately clear whether those wounded were government supporters or opponents.
The protest movement has vowed to disrupt the election as much as possible, by preventing ballot papers from reaching polling stations.
The army earlier said it would increase the number of troops deployed in Bangkok for the polls on Sunday. Some 10,000 police will also patrol the streets.
The protests began in November, after the lower house backed a controversial amnesty bill that critics said would allow Yingluck Shinawatra’s brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, to return.
Yingluck Shinawatra called early elections to quell the unrest, but demonstrators have vowed to block the poll from going ahead.
Correspondents say one election commissioner has predicted that 10% of polling stations will not be able to open at all on Sunday.
Because of disruption to candidate registration, the elections will also not deliver enough MPs for a quorum in parliament, meaning that by-elections will be needed before a government can be approved, extending the instability.
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Thai protesters have surrounded polling stations, blocking early voting ahead of next week’s general election, officials say.
One of their leaders has been shot dead during a clash with government supporters just outside the capital, Bangkok.
Advance voting has reportedly been cancelled in a number of locations.
Anti-government activists want Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to step down and the political system to be reformed.
Suthin Taratin was speaking on top of a truck, which was part of a rally at a polling station where advanced voting was supposed to take place, when he was struck by gunfire.
He died later in hospital.
Crowds of flag-waving demonstrators chained the doors of polling stations shut, despite promises by protest leaders not to obstruct the polls.
The protesters surrounded polling stations in Bangkok and southern Thailand in an attempt to stop people voting.
Thai protesters have surrounded polling stations, blocking early voting ahead of next week’s general election
Voting was either blocked completely or halted at 48 out of 50 polling stations in Bangkok.
Thailand’s election commission has called for the general vote scheduled for February 2 to be postponed because of possible disruption and violence.
But the government has so far insisted that the election must go ahead on schedule.
The latest disturbances comes despite a pledge from protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, who said on Saturday that his supporters would not obstruct advance voting – although they would demonstrate outside polling stations.
The protest movement says it is not obstructing the poll, but that “supporters are simply protesting the advance polls held today by surrounding/standing in front of election units”, in a statement on its Facebook page.
Advance voting is for those unable to take part in the February election.
A state of emergency is in place as the authorities struggle to cope with the unrest.
Protesters, who started their campaign in November, want to install an unelected “people’s council” to run the country until the political system is changed.
They say Yingluck Shinawatra’s government is being influenced by her brother, exiled former leader Thaksin Shinawatra.
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Thailand’s pro-government “red-shirt” leader Kwanchai Praipana has been shot, as the 60-day state of emergency came into effect in Bangkok and nearby provinces.
Kwanchai Praipana, a local radio presenter who played a large role in Bangkok protests in 2010, was wounded at his home in Udon Thani in the north.
It came as anti-government protesters continued to block parts of Bangkok to force the prime minister to resign.
The emergency decree gives the government wide-ranging powers.
Imposed late on Tuesday, it covers Bangkok and three surrounding provinces. It gives the government the power to control crowds and censor media, but it remains unclear how it will be enforced.
The protesters – who began their campaign in November – say PM Yingluck Shinawatra’s government is being influenced by her brother, exiled former leader Thaksin Shinawatra.
The protesters want an unelected “people’s council” to run Thailand until its political system is changed.
Kwanchai Praipana, a local radio presenter who played a large role in Bangkok protests in 2010, was wounded at his home in Udon Thani
Yingluck Shinawatra has refused to step down and has called an election on February 2, which the opposition are boycotting.
The emergency declaration follows incidents of violence during protests, with both the pro-government and anti-government sides blaming each other for attacks.
At least nine people have died since the wave of protests started last year.
Kwanchai Praipana, a prominent leader of the “red shirts” who support Thaksin Shinawatra and the current government, was wounded in the leg and shoulder while standing outside his home on Wednesday.
Police Colonel Kowit Tharoenwattanasuk told Reuters news agency that unidentified people fired shots from a pick-up truck.
He added that the attack was possibly a “politically motivated crime”.
The “red-shirt” government supporters – who shut down Bangkok in 2010 – have for the most part stayed away from these protests. But observers fear that violence could erupt if a trigger brought them out onto the streets.
In Bangkok, meanwhile, there was little change seen on the streets in the first few hours of the state of emergency, with anti-government protesters continuing their blockades in the city centre.
PM Yingluck Shinawatra is being investigated by Thailand’s official anti-corruption commission in connection with the government’s controversial rice subsidy scheme.
The policy guarantees Thai rice farmers a much higher price than on the global market, but critics say it is too expensive and vulnerable to corruption.
The commission has already charged one minister, and is investigating others.
The news comes as Yingluck Shinawatra already faces intense pressure to resign.
Anti-government protesters have been marching through the capital, saying they will shut it down until their demands are met.
They accuse her government of being under the control of her brother, ousted former leader Thaksin Shinawatra.
They say they want an unelected “People’s Council” instead, to reform the electoral system.
The rice purchase scheme was launched in 2011, with the aim of boosting farmers’ incomes and helping alleviate rural poverty.
But it has resulted in the accumulation of huge stockpiles of rice, which the government cannot sell.
Yingluck Shinawatra is being investigated in connection with the government’s controversial rice subsidy scheme
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) says it is looking into Yingluck Shinawatra’s role in the scheme, and investigating her for possible negligence of duty.
“Those who oversaw the scheme knew there were losses but did not put a stop to it,” NACC spokeswoman Vicha Mahakhun told a news conference.
As prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra is nominally the head of the National Rice Committee.
Farmers have traditionally been some of Yingluck Shinawatra’s most ardent supporters. Her Phuea Thai Party was helped to power in 2011 by offering to buy rice at above the market price.
But the rice policy is thought to be costing Thailand around $10 billion a year – and the government has been unable to pay farmers for their most recent harvest, because a bond issue last year failed to raise sufficient funds.
Farmers are already talking about marching on Bangkok in protest.
In addition, if the NACC finds PM Yingluck Shinawatra guilty, she could be banned from politics, along with other ministers.
This would cast another shadow over the election she has called for next month.
The election is already proving contentious. The main opposition Democrat Party is boycotting the polls, which it fears will once again return the Shinawatra family to power.
Anti-government protesters have also rejected the elections, demanding electoral reforms.
Yingluck Shinawatra is currently moving around Bangkok to avoid the protesters blockading her office – although police said on Thursday that the crowds on the streets were gradually dwindling in number.
Thai protesters are blocking roads in parts of Bangkok in a bid to oust Yingluck Shinawatra’s government before snap elections on February 2.
The protesters have built barricades and occupied key road junctions.
The government has deployed 18,000 security personnel to maintain order.
The protesters, who began their campaign in November, want to replace the government of PM Yingluck Shinawatra with an unelected “People’s Council”.
They allege Yingluck Shinawatra is a proxy for her brother, former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by the military in 2006 and is currently in self-imposed exile.
Protesters claim populist policies from Thaksin Shinawatra-allied parties have created a flawed democracy.
However, Thaksin Shinawatra-allied parties draw considerable support from rural voters and have a majority in the Thai parliament. Parties allied to Thaksin Shinawatra have won the last four elections.
The main opposition party is now boycotting the 2 February polls. Anti-government protesters have called on Yingluck Shinawatra to step down.
Yingluck Shinawatra has previously urged protesters to respect the democratic process and use the February elections to choose the next government.
At least eight people have been killed since the protests began late last year. On Saturday, at least seven people were injured when unknown gunmen opened fire on demonstrators at the main rally site in Bangkok.
Thai protesters are blocking roads in parts of Bangkok in a bid to oust Yingluck Shinawatra’s government
On Sunday night, an unidentified gunman attacked demonstrators at a protest site, shooting at least one man, officials said.
Police said a gunman also fired shots at the opposition party headquarters in a separate incident, although no casualties were reported.
Thousands are reported to have turned out for Monday’s demonstrations. Protesters say they intend to achieve what they are calling a shutdown of the capital.
Seven major intersections have been blocked by the anti-government protest movement, which has erected stages and piles of sandbags across the roads.
The government says it wants life to continue as normal through the shutdown and has ordered extra trains to run on the mass transit system and provided thousands of additional parking places outside the city centre.
Protesters also plan to surround key ministries and cut off their power supply in a bid to prevent them from functioning. About 150 schools have been told to close.
The protesters say they will remain in place for several days – but say they will not target public transport or the airports, which were closed for several days by anti-Thaksin protesters in 2008.
Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, who was formerly a senior opposition party politician, described the movement as “a people’s revolution”.
Yingluck Shinawatra was “no longer prime minister” in the eyes of the demonstrators, he told reporters on Monday.
The government says it is deploying 8,000 soldiers and 10,000 police to keep order.
The military – which has carried out several coups in the past – has refused to rule out another one. Some fear an escalation of violence could lead to a military intervention.
The government has so far worked to avoid confrontation with the protesters.
Yingluck Shianwatra had “ordered all police and military personnel to exercise utmost restraint and not to use all kinds of weapons in handling the protesters”, the deputy prime minister said.
The political unrest is the worst to hit Thailand since the protests of 2010, which were against a government led by the current opposition party and left more than 90 people dead, mostly civilian protesters.
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Thai government said it would ask the army to provide security for February’s elections, as the military called for restraint on both sides.
Thailand is facing increasingly violent protests, with two killed and dozens injured in recent days.
On Thursday, the Electoral Commission said the polls should be postponed to ensure the safety of candidates.
However, government officials said parliament was already dissolved so there was no legal reason for a delay.
Fighting broke out on Thursday at a stadium where election candidates were being registered.
A group of protesters, some throwing stones and evidently some who were armed, tried to break into the stadium.
One police officer and one protester were killed in the clashes.
Thailand is facing increasingly violent protests, with two killed and dozens injured in recent days
Deputy PM Surapong Tovichakchaikul said the government would ask the army to help secure candidate registrations on Saturday.
“I will also ask the military to provide security protection for members of the public on the 2 February elections,” he added in a televised address.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Thai army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha did not address the government’s request.
Instead, he urged restraint on both sides and an end to street violence and said the army had shown “red traffic lights to both sides so things will calm down”.
When asked if the army would intervene, Prayuth Chan-ocha said: “That door is neither open nor closed.”
The army, which mounted a successful coup only seven years ago, remains a powerful player in Thai politics.
The army has staged several coups in the past, and ousted former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who is also brother to current premier Yingluck Shinawatra, in 2006.
Yingluck Shinawatra called the snap election earlier this month, following weeks of protests.
However, the opposition Democrat party is boycotting the polls.
Yingluck Shinawatra’s Pheu Thai Party won the last election in 2011 and has a big majority in parliament.
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Thai riot police have fired teargas at protesters trying to prevent political parties from registering for February’s elections at Bangkok’s stadium.
About 500 protesters tried to storm Thai-Japanese stadium where election commission officials were working.
PM Yingluck Shinawatra called the snap elections after weeks of protests that demanded an unelected “people’s council” take power.
Thai riot police have fired teargas at protesters trying to prevent political parties from registering for February’s elections
The demonstrators say political reforms are needed before polls can take place.
On Thursday, the protesters – some of whom were throwing stones – tried to break into the stadium where the electoral commission was registering candidates.
But police responded with tear gas, dispersing the crowd.
There were no reports of serious injuries.
Yingluck Shinawatra dissolved parliament and called an election on December 9th, after more than 150,000 demonstrators took to the streets calling for her government to step down.
Last Sunday, she said elections must take place and urged protesters to express their views at the ballot box.
“If we don’t hold on to the democratic system, what should we hold on to?”
Her Pheu Thai Party won the last election in 2011, and has a majority in parliament.
However, protesters say Yingluck Shinawatra’s brother – ousted former leader Thaksin Shinawatra – remains in charge.
Thaksin Shinawatra is currently in self-imposed exile after he was overthrown in a military army coup in 2006 and convicted of corruption.
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Thai anti-government protesters have surrounded the stadium where candidates were due to register to stand in February’s elections.
They say political reform is needed before elections take place.
On Sunday, tens of thousands took to the streets of the capital Bangkok, calling on the government to step down.
PM Yingluck Shinawatra, who called the polls in December try to end the rallies, urged protesters to respect the “democratic system”.
The main opposition Democrat Party has said it would boycott February’s elections.
Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, who was previously a senior Democrat Party politician, said on Sunday: “We disagree with the election. We want the country to be reformed before the election.”
Thai anti-government protesters have surrounded the stadium where candidates were due to register to stand in February’s elections
He urged protesters to gather outside Bangkok’s Din Daeng Thai-Japan Stadium, where candidate registrations were set to take place, on Monday.
“If you want to apply for candidacy, you must walk past our feet first,” Suthep Thaugsuban said.
Political parties began registering their candidates at a local police station instead, while protesters responded by surrounding the police station as well, correspondents say.
Yingluck Shinawatra dissolved parliament and called an election on December 9, after more than 150,000 demonstrators took to the streets calling for her government to step down.
On Sunday, Yingluck Shinawatra told reporters that elections must take place, and urged protesters to express their views at the ballot box.
She said: “If we don’t hold on to the democratic system, what should we hold on to?”
“If you don’t accept this government, please accept the system,” Yingluck Shinawatra added.
Yingluck Shinawatra’s Pheu Thai Party won the last election in 2011, and has a majority in parliament. However protesters say her brother – ousted former leader Thaksin Shinawatra – remains in charge.
The protesters also accuse the Pheu Thai Party of using public funds irresponsibly to secure votes.
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Thailand’s opposition is to hold a mass rally in the capital Bangkok as its campaign to bring down the government of Yingluck Shinawatra continues.
Protest leaders say they expect a turnout of hundreds of thousands of people.
On Saturday the main opposition Democrat Party said it will boycott elections called for February 2nd.
PM Yingluck Shinawatra called the election earlier this month in a bid to end weeks of protests.
Yingluck Shinawatra won the last elections in 2011, but protesters say her brother – the controversial ousted former leader Thaksin Shinawatra – remains in charge.
Thai opposition is holding a mass rally in Bangkok as its campaign to bring down the government of Yingluck Shinawatra continues
Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban said he hoped Sunday’s rally will raise the pressure on Yingluck Shinawatra and her government, the Bangkok Post reported.
The protesters have set up stages at five main intersections and will be attempting to shut down the traffic in the commercial heart of the capital.
The head of the Thai army has warned the country’s political divisions could “trigger a civil war”.
The opposition-backed protests in Bangkok have caused Thailand’s most serious political turmoil since 2010, with four people killed in clashes in recent weeks.
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Thailand’s main opposition party has decided to boycott snap elections set for February 2, 2014.
Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva told a news conference it would not be fielding candidates, saying: “Thai politics is at a failed stage.”
PM Yingluck Shinawatra called the election earlier this month in a bid to end weeks of mass protests.
The head of the Thai army has warned the country’s political divisions could “trigger a civil war”.
General Prayuth Chan-ocha has proposed a “people’s assembly” – made up of civilians from both sides, not the leaders, to heal the divisions.
The opposition-backed protests in Bangkok have caused Thailand’s most serious political turmoil since 2010.
Yingluck Shinawatra won the last elections in 2011, but protesters say her brother – the controversial ousted former leader Thaksin Shinawatra – remains in charge.
At his news conference, Abhisit Vejjajiva told reporters his party had agreed it would not field candidates in the snap elections.
Thailand’s main opposition party has decided to boycott snap elections set for February
“The Thai people have lost their faith in the democratic system,” he said.
The prime minister dissolved parliament and called the election on December 9 in a bid, she said, to avoid violence on the streets and “to give back the power to the Thai people”.
Her Pheu Thai party has a majority in parliament, and draws significant support from Thailand’s rural areas. It is seen as well-placed to win February’s election.
General Prayuth Chan-ocha said he was deeply concerned by the latest crisis, with divisions not just in Bangkok but across the whole country.
“The situation could trigger a civil war,” he told the Bangkok Post.
Setting out his vision of a “people’s assembly”, he said it should be made up of people from both sides of the political divide – known as the “red shirts”, those who support Thaksin Shinawatra, and the “yellow shirts”, those who oppose him.
“It must be from a neutral group and comprise non-core representatives of all colors, and all color leaders must be excluded,” he said.
General Prayuth Chan-ocha did not give details on how or when the assembly would be set up, but said any proposal “must come from a public consensus and the public must brainstorm how to reach that consensus”.
He stressed his grouping would be different to the “people’s council” proposed by the opposition.
“The people’s assembly must not be organized or sponsored by any conflicting group, as it would not be accepted by the other side,” he said.
His comments came after a defense council meeting on Friday to discuss the February 2 election.
Defense spokesman Col Thanatip Sawangsaeng said the army “is ready to support the Election Commission in organizing the elections when asked”.
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Former Thailand’s PM Abhisit Vejjajiva has been formally charged with murder in connection with a crackdown on demonstrators in 2010.
More than 90 people died in clashes during the 2010 protests.
Abhisit Vejjajiva, who leads the opposition Democrat Party, denied the charges and was granted bail.
The indictment came as protests against current PM Yingluck Shinawatra continued, and protesters briefly entered Government House.
Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, who was Abhisit Vejjajiva’s deputy in 2010, also faces charges but has asked the court to postpone his hearing.
Abhisit Vejjajiva and Suthep Thaugsuban were in power when thousands of supporters of ousted former leader Thaksin Shinawatra occupied parts of Bangkok. They authorized the army to clear the protesters.
Abhisit Vejjajiva has been formally charged with murder in connection with a crackdown on demonstrators in 2010
The charges relate to the shooting deaths of a 43-year-old taxi driver and a 14-year-old during the crackdown.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, protesters briefly broke into Government House, and later cut off the office’s power supply, reports said.
Anti-government protesters want Yingluck Shinawatra to resign and for her government to be replaced with an unelected “People’s Council”.
They say that Thaksin Shinawatra, who is also Yingluck Shinawatra’s brother, controls the ruling Pheu Thai party.
Abhisit Vejjajiva and other Democrat Party lawmakers resigned from parliament on Sunday so that they could join the protesters.
On Monday, Yingluck Shinawatra dissolved parliament and announced general elections for February 2nd, 2014, as 150,000 protesters surrounded Government House.
However, she has refused to resign before the elections.
Yingluck Shinwatra’s Pheu Thai party has a majority in parliament, and draws significant support from Thailand’s rural areas. The party is seen as well-placed to win February’s election.
However, protesters accuse it of using public funds irresponsibly to secure votes, including on a controversial rice subsidy scheme which hurt Thailand’s exports.
Thaksin Shinwatra is in self-imposed exile after he was overthrown in a military coup in 2006 and convicted of corruption.
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Thailand’s PM Yingluck Shinawatra has rejected protesters’ demands that she resign before February’s snap elections.
Demonstrators have been calling for Yingluck Shinawatra to resign and be replaced with a “people’s prime minister”.
Yingluck Shinawatra won the last polls in 2011, but protesters say ex-leader Thaksin Shinawatra remains in charge.
Thailand is facing its largest political turmoil since 2010.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Yingluck Shinawatra urged protesters to stop and “use the electoral system to choose who will become the next government”.
“I must do my duty as caretaker prime minister according to the constitution,” she said.
Yingluck Shinawatra has rejected protesters’ demands that she resign before February’s snap elections
She added: “I have retreated as far as I can – give me some fairness.”
On Monday, around 150,000 protesters had converged around the government headquarters in what they had described as a final push to unseat the government.
On the same day, Yingluck Shinawatra announced that she would dissolve parliament and call elections, now set for February 2.
However, protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, a former opposition politician, said that the demonstrations would continue.
“We will select a people’s prime minister and set up a government of the people and a people’s assembly to replace parliament,” he said late on Monday.
On Tuesday the streets were quiet and the number of protesters had diminished significantly.
However, a small core of protesters remained outside government buildings, correspondents said.
Yingluck Shinawatra’s Pheu Thai party has a majority in parliament, and draws significant support from Thailand’s rural areas. The party is seen as well-placed to win February’s election.
Anti-government protesters say Yingluck Shinawatra’s party is controlled by ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra.
They accuse it of using public funds irresponsibly to secure votes and want her government to be replaced with an unelected “People’s Council”.
Thaksin Shinawatra, a polarizing politician, is in self-imposed exile after he was overthrown in a military army coup in 2006 and convicted of corruption.
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Thailand’s PM Yingluck Shinawatra has announced she will dissolve parliament and call an election, after sustained protests in the capital, Bangkok.
The move followed the resignation of all opposition MPs from parliament on Sunday, and a planned march on Government House on Monday.
Yingluck Shinawatra won elections in 2011.
However, the protesters allege Yingluck Shinawatra’s government is controlled by ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra, and have vowed to continue the demonstrations.
Thailand’s PM Yingluck Shinawatra has announced she will dissolve parliament and call an election
The announcement came as Yingluck Shinawatra addressed the nation on television.
“The government does not want any loss of life,” she said.
“At this stage, when there are many people opposed to the government from many groups, the best way is to give back the power to the Thai people and hold an election,” Yingluck Shinawatra said.
“So the Thai people will decide.”
No date was given for the polls but Yingluck Shinawatra said they would be held “as soon as possible”.
In the general election in July 2011, Yingluck Shinawatra ‘s Pheu Thai party won a majority, with 265 seats to the Democrat Party’s 159 seats.
Under Thailand’s electoral regulations polls must be held within two months of parliament being dissolved.
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Thai police removed barricades from outside both Government House and the police office in Bangkok announcing that protesters are welcomed in the government’s headquarters.
The mood in the capital Bangkok appeared considerably calmer after the move, which followed clashes over the weekend and on Monday.
But as tensions fell, protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban vowed to fight on and remove the government.
PM Yingluck Shinawatra has rejected protesters’ demands that she step down.
Yingluck Shinawatra said she was open to negotiations but that calls for the government to be replaced by an appointed council were illegal and unconstitutional.
The protests, which began on November 24, had been largely peaceful until Saturday, when they became violent.
Over the weekend and on Monday demonstrators tried to break apart police barricades and storm the prime minister’s office, Government House, with police using tear gas and water cannon to repel them.
Protest leader and former opposition politician Suthep Thaugsuban said on Monday that the protesters would “take over the Metropolitan Police Bureau and make it the people’s”.
Thai police took down barriers and razor wire outside their building and it was announced that the protesters were welcome inside
On Tuesday morning – in a surprise and possibly shrewd move – the police took down barriers and razor wire outside their building and it was announced that the protesters were welcome inside.
Protesters were allowed through the barricades outside Government House.
Demonstrators gathered on the lawn of the headquarters, blowing whistles and waving flags. AFP news agency reported a “carnival” atmosphere at the site.
Protesters shook hands with police officers, hugged them, and offered them roses.
Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana said the government was still functioning, but had asked the police to back off.
“We see the protesters just want to seize these places as a symbolic action, so we want to compromise,” he told Reuters.
The police move is seen as an attempt to prevent further clashes.
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Thailand’s PM Yingluck Shinawatra has rejected protesters’ demands that she step down, amid ongoing clashes in Bangkok.
Yingluck Shinawatra said the demands were not possible under the constitution, but that she remained open to talks.
More clashes broke out on Monday as protesters tried to storm the prime minister’s office, Government House.
Four people have died in Thailand’s worst political turmoil since the 2010 rallies that ended in violence.
PM Yingluck Shinawatra has rejected protesters’ demands that she step down, amid ongoing clashes in Bangkok
“Anything I can do to make people happy, I am willing to do… but as prime minister, what I can do must be under the constitution,” Yingluck Shinawatra said in a televised address.
Anti-government demonstrators have been calling on Yingluck Shinawatra to step down, with protest leader and former opposition politician Suthep Thaugsuban saying on Sunday that Yingluck Shinawatra should resign within the next “two days”.
The protesters want to replace the government with an unelected “People’s Council”, alleging Yingluck Shinawatra’s government is controlled by her brother, ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra.
The protests, which began on November 24, had been largely peaceful until Saturday, when they became violent.
Over the weekend demonstrators tried to break apart police barricades and storm the prime minister’s office, with police using tear gas and water cannons to repel them.
On Monday, protesters returned to the streets again and more clashes occurred, although correspondents said that demonstrator numbers appeared lower than before.
Yingluck Shinawatra has said that she would not authorize the use of force against protesters.
“The military has positioned itself as neutral and it wants to see a peaceful way out,” Yingluck Shinawatra added in Monday’s address.
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Thailand’s protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban says he has met Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and given her two days to “return power to the people”.
Suthep Thaugsuban said the meeting had been held under the auspices of the military and there was no compromise.
He did not say what action would follow if the ultimatum were not heeded.
On the eighth day of action to unseat PM Yingluck Shinawatra, police fended off protesters who descended on key sites in Bangkok. Four people have died in the unrest.
Dozens have been injured.
The protesters had declared Sunday the decisive “V-Day” of what they termed a “people’s coup”.
The worst violence occurred when Thai students attacked vehicles bringing pro-government activists to a Bangkok stadium
They say Yingluck Shinawatra’s administration is controlled by her brother, exiled ex-leader Thaksin Shinawatra, and they want to replace it with a “People’s Council”.
Suthep Thaugsuban said he had met the prime minister in a secret location in the presence of the army, navy and air force commanders.
“There was no negotiation and no compromise,” Suthep Thaugsuban was quoted as saying.
“I told Yingluck that this is the only and last time I see her until power is handed over to the people.
“There will be no bargaining and it must be finished in two days.”
Some 30,000 protesters had gathered earlier at about eight sites, police said, including Government House, television stations and the police headquarters.
Protesters did enter several TV stations to ensure a message from Suthep Thaugsuban was aired. It was broadcast by almost all of Thailand’s channels.
Suthep Thaugsuban called a general strike for government employees for Monday.
Yingluck Shinawatra had intended to give media interviews on Sunday at a Bangkok police complex but was forced to leave when protesters tried to break in.
Deputy PM Pracha Promnok urged people in the capital to stay indoors from 22:00 to 05:00 local time “so they will not become victims of provocateurs”.
The worst violence occurred when students attacked vehicles bringing pro-government activists to a Bangkok stadium on Saturday.
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Thailand’s government has decided to deploy troops in Bangkok to support riot police shielding official buildings from anti-government protesters.
Tear gas and water cannon were fired as protesters tried to breach barricades outside Government House.
Activists have threatened to enter key government buildings, including the headquarters of PM Yingluck Shinawatra.
Sunday is the eighth day of protests aimed at unseating Yingluck Shinawatra.
Protest leaders had said it would be the decisive day. They declared it “V-Day” of what they are calling a “people’s coup”.
Two people were killed and dozens more wounded on Saturday as pro- and anti-government groups clashed.
Troops have been deployed in Bangkok to support riot police shielding official buildings from anti-government protesters
The anti-government Civil Movement for Democracy has announced an all-out assault on the heart of the government, with the aim of replacing it with a “People’s Council”.
It says Yingluck Shinawatra’s administration is controlled by her brother, exiled ex-leader Thaksin Shinawatra.
The Bangkok Post reported that a group of anti-government protesters had taken control of the Thai PBS television station. They told PBS officials to televise speeches made by the protest leaders, the report said.
Police drove back another set of demonstrators at the police headquarters.
Officials denied rumors Yingluck Shinawatra had left the country, but her whereabouts are unknown.
Yingluck Shinawatra had earlier said the government would use minimum force to hold back the protesters.
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Clashes broke out in Bangkok between rival protesters killing at least one person and wounding other three.
People heading to a pro-government rally were attacked by students, and later shots were fired.
Saturday is the seventh day of protests aiming to unseat the government of PM Yingluck Shinawatra.
Protesters claim her government is controlled by her brother, exiled former leader Thaksin Shinawatra.
Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted in a coup following protests in 2006 and now lives in self-imposed exile overseas.
Clashes broke out in Bangkok between rival protesters killing at least one person and wounding other three
He is one of the most polarizing figures in Thai politics – he remains popular with many rural voters, while his opponents tend to be urban and middle class voters.
A group of students attacked vehicles bringing government supporters to the stadium – windows were smashed, and some minor injuries reported.
Later, shots were fired, but it is not clear yet by whom.
Police reinforcements were sent to the area and roads blocked, but skirmishes between the two sides continued for several hours.
Police have called for military backup to reinforce security in the city.
National police spokesman Piya Utayo said on Thai television that some 2,730 military personnel from the army, navy and air force will be deployed, AFP reports.
The government has been reluctant to risk deploying the military, which ousted Yingluck Shinawatra ‘s brother in a coup seven years ago, but may no longer have a choice, our correspondent reports.
Tension is now rising in Bangkok as the anti-government movement prepares for what it calls a “people’s revolt” – a mass occupation of government buildings.
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Hundreds of Thai protesters forced their way into the army headquarters in Bangkok, on the sixth day of anti-government rallies.
The protesters broke open a gate, held a rally in the compound asking for the army’s help in their campaign, and later withdrew without confrontation.
On Thursday, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra called for an end to the demonstrations after surviving a no-confidence vote.
But protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban has rejected her appeal.
“We will not let them work anymore,” the former senior opposition lawmaker said in a speech late on Thursday.
On Friday, at least 1,000 protesters forced their way into the army headquarters compound, but did not enter any buildings.
They urged the army to come out in support of the demonstrators.
Hundreds of Thai protesters forced their way into the army headquarters in Bangkok, on the sixth day of anti-government rallies
“We want to know which side the army stands on,” Reuters news agency quoted one protester as saying.
Meanwhile security was tightened around the ruling Pheu Thai party headquarters, where more protesters had massed.
Demonstrators have been surrounding and occupying official buildings this week in an attempt to disrupt the government.
During the demonstrations, which have been largely peaceful so far, participants have cut the electricity supply to the national police headquarters and forced the evacuation of Thailand’s top crime-fighting agency.
The protesters say Yingluck Shinawatra’s government is controlled by her brother, exiled former leader Thaksin Shinawatra.
Yingluck Shinawatra has invoked special powers allowing curfews and road closures, and police have also ordered the arrest of Suthep Thaugsuban – but so far no move has been made to detain him.
In a televised address on Thursday, Yingluck Shinawatra said the protesters should negotiate with the government.
“The government doesn’t want to enter into any political games because we believe it will cause the economy to deteriorate,” Yingluck Shinawatra said.
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