Thailand flies Asian leaders to safety as Thaksin Red Shirts storm summit

[ensho]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/12/thailand-protests-cancel-asia-summit


In a humiliating setback for the Thai government of prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, the country was yesterday forced to cancel a summit of Asian leaders in the seaside resort of Pattaya and fly nine of them by helicopter to a military base after protesters stormed the conference centre.

The demonstrators - supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Sinawatra known as the Red Shirts - were demanding Abhisit's resignation as they stormed the conference's media centre. Local media said that Thaksin had asked his supporters to "swarm the summit venue" - Royal Cliff Beach Hotel - and force him to step down.

Thaksin was deposed in 2006 following a military coup. Abhisit came into power in December after opposition defections which the opposition says were stage-managed by the country's military. Thailand has now had four prime ministers in 15 months, none of whom has been able to heal the country's political divisions.

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The East Asia Summit brings together the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand for discussions about trade, economic issues and regional security.
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