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In Pictures
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Pictures: Showdown in Pattaya
Anti-government protesters in Thailand forced the postponement on Saturday of a summit of Asian leaders in Pattaya, 150km south of the capital Bangkok [AFP]
Published On 11 Apr 2009
11 Apr 2009
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The summit had brought together the 10 member nations of Asean and China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand for discussions on trade, economic issues and regional security [AFP]
The red-shirted protesters are supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra, who was Thailand's prime minister until he was ousted in a coup in 2006 and whose reconstituted party won December's elections [AFP]
For the past several months, the "red-shirts" have been demanding the resignation of Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Thai prime minister, and fresh elections [AFP]
The appearance of a group of blue-shirted pro-government vigilantes, armed with clubs, bricks and slingshots, appeared to have precipitated the showdown between police and protesters in Pattaya [AFP]
Demonstrators broke through security roadblocks, pushing aside police vans and buses, before confronting soldiers at the summit venue [AFP]
The government declared a state of emergency in Pattaya before the protesters declared victory and withdrew peacefully from the summit venue [AFP]
Their mission accomplished, the Thaksin supporters headed back to Bangkok to resume their anti-government protests there [AFP]
The summit fiasco is a huge embarrassment for Abhisit's government, which came to power through parliamentary defections that Thaksin supporters say were engineered by the army [AFP]