Three Killed, Acting Thai Prime Minister Forced to Flee Bangkok, as Thailand Edges Closer to Chaos

 

BANGKOK– Three protesters have been killed and the country’s prime minister forced to flee from an important meeting as Thailand edged ever closer towards chaos. Officials suggested that an election scheduled for July might have to be postponed.

Unidentified gunmen attacked a camp of anti-government protesters close to Bangkok’s Democracy Monument in the early hours of Thursday, killing three people and injuring more than 20. Later, the acting Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan was forced to rush out of a meeting with election officials after anti-government protesters broke into the grounds of an air force base where the meeting was taking place.

The incidents on Thursday were just the latest developments in months of turmoil that have reverberated through Thailand where pro and anti-government demonstrators are involved in a stand-off.

The prime minister, appointed earlier this month after the previous premier was ousted by a controversial court, had been meeting with officials to discuss the poll, which had been fixed to take place on 20 July. The meeting was taking place at an air force academy outside of Bangkok. According to the Associated Press the location had been chosen for security reasons.

But despite the presence of riot police and other security, about 100 protesters entered the compound through a side entrance, blowing whistles and waving Thai flags. Mr Niwattumrong and several cabinet ministers at the meeting were alerted to their arrival, ended their meeting and were driven away.

“The government called off the meeting for security reasons,” the Election Commission’s secretary-general, Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, told reporters. He said the government has suggested future meetings be held by teleconference and said it may not be possible for polls to proceed as scheduled if meetings with the government are not possible.