Car bomb adds to Bangkok chaos
Tuesday, 07 Oct 2008 18:10
Police in Thailand fire tear gas at mass protest outside parliament in Bangkok
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A suspected car bomb has been detonated in Bangkok, hours after police fired tear gas at protestors trying to stops MPs from entering the Thai parliament.
According to reports one person died in the blast outside parliament, which demonstrators have once again surrounded.
The situation in the capital is still being described as tense and there are reports of shots being fired at police outside the building.
Earlier, scores of people were injured as police moved in on protestors.
Deputy prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh has announced his resignation over the mass demonstration, but prime minister Somchai Wongsawat was able to deliver his inaugural speech to parliament.
Thousands of anti-government activists had attempted to stop the members of parliament arriving to hear Mr Wongsawat deliver his first policy statement at prime minister.
They claim that Mr Somchai is acting as a proxy for ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and want the government to resign.
At least 65 people are said to have been injured, several of whom are in a critical condition, in the clashes with the police on Tuesday.
Petpong Kumtonkitjakarn, from the Erawan Medical Centre, told the Associated Press news agency that two demonstrators were seriously hurt. "One of them lost his leg, another was hit with shrapnel in the chest."
Major General Anan Srihiran, meanwhile, told Reuters that it had been "absolutely necessary for police to use tear gas to break up the crowd".
"We only wanted to open up a road for the cabinet to enter parliament. We will not do anything else to the protesters for the rest of the day," he said.
Protestors from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) have been occupying the grounds in front of the government buildings for the last six weeks.
Mr Somchai insisted that his address to parliament would go ahead despite the demonstrations.
"It is not right for the PAD to obstruct the representatives of the people," the prime minister declared.