Thai protest leader meets PM, still adamant on govt's removal

Bangkok: Thailand's anti-government leader on Monday said he has met embattled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra demanding that she return ruling mandate to the people while at least five persons were killed as protesters launched a "people's coup" against the regime.

Suthep Thaugsuban said that he told Yingluck that his group would not stop the week-long protests until it achieved the goal of drafting new rules for the country as the campaign entered a dangerous phase. Suthep, a former opposition Democrat Party MP said Yingluck did not say anything during the meeting.

Suthep said he agreed to meet Yingluck because the meeting was witnessed by the commanders-in-chief of the three armed forces. The People's Democratic Reform Committee leader has called for everyone in the public and private sectors nationwide to stop work from Monday until the protest to remove Yingluck's government succeeds in what he calls a "people's coup".

He claimed in a statement that throughout the 32 days of protests, the PDRC had managed to draw support from millions of people and take control of many important government ministries. He called for all television stations to stop presenting news on the government and run only news on the PDRC. Meanwhile, Thai Broadcast Journalists Association, the Thai Journalists Association and the News Broadcasting Council of Thailand issued a statement denouncing anti-government

protesters' movement against television channels.

This threatens press freedom and goes against the democratic rule. The protesters must stop the action immediately, they said.

Protesters stormed into all six free TV stations on Sunday demanding all to broadcast their movements and statements and stop airing all news related to the government.

Police hurled tear-gas and water canons at about 30,000 protesters trying to breach barricades and cut barbed wire protecting Government House, office of the Prime Minister, seeking to oust Yingluck who came to power in 2011. The Prime Minster was not present at the time. The government denied rumours that she had fled the country but her whereabouts were unknown.