The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which has been demonstrating since May, claim Samak is running Thailand on behalf of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and is barred from holding office.
Samak, who was elected in December and formed a coalition government in February, told the nation Monday that the protests would not force him out of office, and accused the PAD of seeking to destroy Thailand's economy.
The country's powerful army chief urged calm, insisting the military would not overthrow the government to quell the escalating protests, which police say have attracted at least 10,000 people to the streets.
"The military will not stage a coup d'etat. The public must not panic and must carry on their daily lives. The army will not get involved in politics," General Anupong Paojinda told reporters.
Protesters marched before dawn on Government House and the National Broadcasting Service of Thailand (NBT) office, forcing the station off the air after storming the premises for a second time.
"Now we have completely taken over NBT and I want more people to join them," PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul told demonstrators at another location in the Thai capital.
"Today is judgement day. I am ready if they want to arrest me. If we have to go to police headquarters this time we will not simply stay outside. We will get inside there," he told the cheering crowds.
Deputy government spokesman Nuttawut Saikua told AFP: "PAD have seized NBT to cut off the government communication. Now up to 3,000 people have occupied NBT and they plan to do their own broadcast."
A first attempt to take over the station ended with the arrests of 80 protesters. Police charged them with trespassing and seized a handgun, slingshots and golf clubs.
Elsewhere, thousands of protesters surrounded Government House, with PAD demonstrators using trucks to block all entrances.
"As of now the government has stopped functioning," an official who asked not to be named told AFP, saying only 10 percent of staff had made it to work.
Thousands more protesters dressed in yellow to show allegiance to the king and waving national flags then made their way to the transport, finance and agriculture ministries, vowing to blockade all major government buildings.
"We are here today to show the government that the Thai people don't need them. We want the government to step down," said Prahert Surachetphanich, a doctor, as he joined the rally at Government House.
Major Surapol Tuanthong, deputy police spokesman, said at least 10,000 protesters had flooded onto the streets, with 3,000 police officers deployed to maintain order.
Thai television news reported that PAD protesters were burning tyres and blocking traffic on major highways into Bangkok.
Highway police chief Colonel Somyos Promnim told AFP that about 2,500 people had protested on roads in the north, northeast and south of Thailand, but said traffic was still getting through.
Nuttawut, the deputy government spokesman, said earlier that Samak would proceed with a weekly cabinet meeting.
"As of now the prime minister has not made any change, therefore I still think that the cabinet meeting will go ahead," Nuttawut said.
One minister told AFP that the meeting would likely be moved to a military command office on the northern outskirts of Bangkok.
Asked if the government planned to declare emergency rule, Nuttawut replied: "Wait for the prime minister. So far there is no special instruction."
Source: AFP |
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