国际英语新闻：Thai PM: Retreat of protesters means victory of society

BANGKOK, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Tuesday afternoon the tension caused by anti-government protesters has been eased, and the retreat of the red-shirted people does not mean a victory or loss of any side, but a victory of society, since normalcy has returned.

    However, the emergency decree can not be immediately lifted in order to facilitate the security forces to fully restore stability as soon as possible, the premier said, without mentioning the exact timing for the state of emergency to be lifted.

Supporters of ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra aboard a truck leave the Government House area in Bangkok April 14, 2009

His remarks came after Natthawut Saikua, Veera Musigapong and Suporn Atthawong, leaders of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), headed to Bangkok Metropolitan Police head office around 11:20 a.m. local time Tuesday to surrender.

    Veera told protesters at the Government House to disperse and said the voluntarily dispersing did not mean a failure of the red-shirted movement but an attempt to protect the life of the protesters.

Supporters of ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra queue to leave the Government House area while soldiers watch in Bangkok April 14, 2009

The protesters' retreat following Army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd's TV address that the army was prepared to disperse the protesters at the Government House, ready to shooting into air, if necessary.

    The spokesman said the army would try to negotiate with the protesters first, but if the effort failed, they would use teargas and water cannons to secure the area.

    The surrender of UDD leaders and dispersing of protesters may mean an end, at least a halt, of Thailand's 20-day-long political turmoil since March 26, when the "red-shirts" led by UDD began to rally to push Abhisit to resign.

Supporters of ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra leave with their belongings at the Government House area in Bangkok April 14, 2009

Last Sunday afternoon, Abhisit declared a state of emergency in Bangkok and some districts of five nearby provinces, citing the escalating violence of the protests, which on Saturday forced the then-ongoing ASEAN summit and related summits to be canceled in Pattaya.

    After imposing the state of emergency, Abhisit had promised to restore order in the country in three or four days during the Songkran Festival, the water-splashing holiday which kicked off on Monday to coincide with the start of a urban war fight between protesters and the authorities.

    Violence in Thailand escalated Monday despite government troops attempted to gain control and restore order to the capital Bangkok.

    At about 4:30 a.m. local time Monday morning, some 300 red-shirted protesters used a seized bus to crash soldiers stationed at Din Daeng District in north Bangkok. Soldiers fired warning shots into the air and used teargas to disperse the protesters. Abhisit later confirmed some 70 injured in the clash, with no death.

    The "red-shirts" on late Monday morning began to block several main intersections including the Din Daeng Intersection, forcing more than 100 bus routes and medical services to bypass the area. The authorities also claimed the violence was incited by protesters who burnt buses, seized LPG tankers, intruded local markets, broke into banks and attacked soldiers as well as civilians throughout the day.

    Not till early afternoon, the Thai security authorities have managed to disperse red-shirted protesters in many areas in Bangkok as traffic have resumed. And Abhisit concluded at the end of Monday that his mission to bring back peace and order to the country has nearly completed.

    The premier also confirmed that there was two dead cases from clashes at the Nang Lerng Market on Monday evening, where the government accused the red-shirt protesters of intruding and clashing with local residents.

    Bangkok during last two days has seen 121 people injured and two dead in the chaos, which will deal another blow to tourism, one of Thailand's biggest foreign exchange earners. Several countries and regions, including Australia, China and Russia have issued travel warnings to their citizens.

    The state of emergency was imposed on Sunday after thousands of red-shirts on Saturday (April 10) forced through army's cordons and stormed the ASEAN summit venue and media center, as a way to force Abhisit to resign. Abhisit had to announce the cancellation of the then-ongoing ASEAN summit and related summits due to security concern, adding that the protesters who broke the law must get punished.

    The UDD, loyal to the ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, arranged a mass anti-government rally on April 8-10, attracting as many as 100,000 supporters to join them.

    The political unrest in Thailand has been ongoing since former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was removed by a military coup in 2006.

    In November last year, swarms of anti-government demonstrators, or called as "yellow-shirted" protesters, marched to the streets and shut down the country's main international airport for one week.

    After a court ordered the removal of the previous pro-Thaksin government, Abhisit was appointed by the Parliament in December, prompting displeased Thaksin supporters to stage regular street protests.