Participating Asian
leaders were on their way out of the country, according to
The
emergency order gives police the authority to arrest people without seeking
arrest warrants.
Thousands
of "red shirt" protesters -- named for their clothing -- have rallied
for days to demand that Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva step down. They
say Abhisit was not democratically elected, and want him to schedule elections.
Their
protests are not directly related to the Asian summit, but the demonstrations
created so much chaos that summit members could not reach at least two of their
meetings.
The
disruptions included traffic around hotel meeting sites and conflicts among
protesters. "Blue shirt" protesters and red shirts clashed, both
sides armed with long sticks.
In a strategy change
among red shirts, demonstrators have been urged to go to the southern coastal
city of
Earlier, Nattavut had
said that red shirt demonstrations might be suspended to allow Thais to
celebrate the New Year from Monday through Wednesday next week.
The demonstrators are loyal to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a
2006 coup. He fled
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