Thailand: protesters injured in Bangkok blast
Twenty-eight protesters against Thailand’s government are injured in Bangkok after an explosive device was thrown at a march led by opposition leader Suthep Thaugsuban.
At the end of a relatively peaceful week of protests against Yingluck Shinawatra’s administration, there were signs that tensions could boil over in the Thai capital – a senior government official said it was “about time” the protest was ended.
Thai police said the explosive device was thrown as protesters marched with Mr Suthep near Chulalongkorn University in the city centre. A spokesman for the opposition movement said Mr Suthep was 30 metres away from the explosion.
A local medical centre said 28 protesters were injured in the explosion, though none of the injuries are were believed to be life-threatening.
Earlier, hundreds of people on motorbikes and in other vehicles drove up to the government administrative area where the passport office is located and a confrontation ensued with the protesters, National Security Council Secretary-General Paradorn Pattanatabut said.
“They said they were angry at the anti-government crowd who blocked traffic there and stopped them from getting access to government services, especially the passport office,” he said.
Read more: Asia Correspondent John Sparks interviews a protest leader in front of thousands
‘About time’
Protesters have been calling for Prime Minister Yingluck to step down, and have rejected an election that her government has called for 2 February. They accuse the prime minister of being a proxy for her brother, ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Speakers at protest sites across Bangkok have suggested that Ms Yingluck is worn out and eager to quit, but at a news conference on Friday the prime minister maintained that she still enjoyed overwhelming popular support.
The government also suggested that it would be taking action to end the “shut down” protest which began on Monday, and has seen thousands of protesters take over major intersections.
Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said on Friday it was “about time” to take back control of the capital. “We have to start to do something,” he said, indicating that action would be taken “soon.”
The protests have been said to be causing serious damage to Thailand’s economy, which is forecast to grow by 3 per cent rather than the forecast 4.5 per cent because of the disruption to manufacturing, exports, consumption and tourism.
The military, which in the past has intervened and overthrown governments following protests, has so far kept its distance.