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Thailand protesters cut power to police headquarters

Protesters in Thailand have cut the electricity to the national police headquarters, ignoring a p...
Newstalk
Newstalk

09.51 28 Nov 2013


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Thailand protesters cut power...

Thailand protesters cut power to police headquarters

Newstalk
Newstalk

09.51 28 Nov 2013


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Protesters in Thailand have cut the electricity to the national police headquarters, ignoring a plea by embattled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to call off their demonstrations.

The building in Bangkok was running on back-up power using an emergency generator, according to a spokesman.

Ms. Yingluck easily survived a parliamentary no-confidence vote earlier on Thursday, but it has failed to defuse tensions or end the biggest anti-government protests since deadly political unrest three years ago.

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The no-confidence motion was filed by the opposition Democrat Party, which alleges widespread corruption in government and accuses the prime minister of acting as a puppet for her brother, the ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Anucha Romyanan, deputy national police spokesman, said "I confirm the protesters pulled down several electricity cables outside the police headquarters. We are now on back-up electricity, we are using a generator".

As well as the national police headquarters, protestors have also marched on the defence and education ministries, although police claim the number people taking to the streets had fallen.

Ms. Yingluck, who has denied the opposition allegations, pleaded for demonstrators to "call off" their protests for the "country's peace".

"I'm begging you, the protesters, because this doesn't make the situation any better. They want to rally until the end of this month. I think they have expressed their political stand enough" she said.

Protesters are demanding the end of the "Thaksin regime" and want to replace the government with an unelected "people's council".

Ms. Yingluck needed more than half, or 246 votes, out of the 492 votes in the lower house to prevail. She won 297, with 134 votes against her.

However, her party and its coalition partners were subjected to a three-day debate during which the Democrat Party grilled Ms Yingluck on a $100m water management project and financially troubled government rice intervention scheme.

The protests have triggered growing international concern, with UN leader Ban Ki-moon the latest world leader to voice alarm. Ban "is concerned by the rising political tensions in Bangkok", said his spokesman Martin Nesirky.

"The secretary-general calls on all sides to exercise the utmost restraint, refrain from the use of violence and to show full respect for the rule of law and human rights" he added.


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