BANGKOK, Feb 18: A Thai policeman was shot dead and 58 people injured today as police raided an opposition rally site to reclaim areas taken over by demonstrators seeking to overthrow Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
Violence erupted as the police tried to take back the protest site at Phan Fah Bridge hours after arresting 100 protesters in front of state-owned oil and gas company PTT Plc for violating a state of emergency declared in January.
Several police officers were involved the operation called the “Peace for Bangkok Mission”.
The Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order (CPMO) said it plans to retake Government House, Prime Minister’s office, as the first target of its operation to reclaim five areas occupied by the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).
“One policeman was shot dead and 58 injured,” city’s Erawan emergency medical centre said.
Six policemen and a foreign journalist were also among the injured.
Labour Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung, the CMPO director, said Prime Minister Yingluck had instructed him not to resort to violence.
The protesters backed by the main opposition Democrat Party have been rallying in Bangkok since November to try to oust Yingluck, whom they view as a proxy for her elder brother Thaksin Shinawatra, a former premier who was toppled in a military coup in 2006.
They want the Government to hand over power to an unelected people’s council to implement reforms they say are needed to end corruption.
Paradorn Pattanatabut, secretary-general of the Internal Security Operations Command, said negotiations would be the main medium to reclaim Government House.
He admitted that Yingluck’s plan to return to Government House had to be delayed. Demonstrators poured cement into the barrier moulds at the gates of the compound yesterday.
Eleven people have died and hundreds of others injured in political violence linked to the latest round of anti-government rallies. Demonstrators have blocked major intersections and entrances to Government offices.
Yingluck’s Government held a snap election on February 2 which was boycotted by the Democrat Party. Demonstrators prevented 10,000 polling stations from opening on election day. (AGENCIES)
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel