Thai protest leaders surrender after deadly clashes
Leaders of anti-government protest surrender to police; Thai army says it has full control of Bangkok, but riots continue
Four senior Thai anti-government protest leaders surrendered to police on Wednesday, after troops stormed their encampment, sparking clashes that killed at least four people, as violence rocked other areas of the city.
Using armored vehicles and firing semi-automatic weapons from an overpass, soldiers made an early morning advance on an area occupied for more than six weeks by thousands "red shirt" demonstrators in Bangkok's commercial heart.
As they moved close to the main protest site, top protest leaders offered to surrender on the main stage as supporters urged them to fight on, many screaming and crying as gun fire rang out nearby.
Thai troops in Bangkok (Photo: AP)
Moments later, live television showed the four in police custody, urging supporters to go home.
The army spokesman said in a television broadcast the protest site was under army control and the military had halted operations.
As the leaders were surrendering, three grenades exploded outside the main protest site, badly wounding two soldiers and a foreign journalist, a Reuters witness said. Protesters were also burning tires in other areas of the city. The Tahi Stock Exchange and a local department store were also set on fire.
Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said the military had successfully gained control of the Lumpini Park area south of the protest site.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva imposed a curfew in Bangkok Wednesday, from 8 pm (1 pm GMT) until 6 am on Thursday (11 pm GMT) The curfew, details of which were read out on national television, was meant to allow security authorities perform their duty, Abhisit said in the order.
Meanwhile, the Thai Army spokesman Col. Sansern Kawekamnerd reiterated that his troops had entered the Rajprasong shopping district that protesters had occupied since mid-April.
He said police and soldiers had completed their operations.
AP and Reuters contributed to this report
