BANGKOK, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) — Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej Saturday vowed to stay on as the head of government despite the continuous and determined mass protests that called on his step-down.
The 73-year-old premier reiterated his stance before a cheering crowd of government supporters at a stadium for a government-sponsored event to call for national unity, before he headed for an audience with Thai King Bhumibol Aduyaldej in His Majesty’s current residence — Klai Kangwan Palace in central coastal resort Hua Hin, earlier scheduled on 5:00 p.m. (1000 GMT).
"I will not give in and resign as demanded by the protesters led by the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD). I will carry on with my duties for the benefit of the nation," he said.
The premier had reportedly flied to the Hua Hin palace late Friday night to see an audience with the 81-year-old monarch, who is highly revered among Thais. But the audience somehow did not happen and the premier returned to Bangkok Saturday morning.
The possible impact to be extended by the audience with the King was widely anticipated among Thais, as thousands of PAD-led protesters continued their occupation and anti-government rally at the Government House — Thai PM’s official office — in central Bangkok into the fifth day on Saturday.
The premier has repeatedly said he would not use force to disperse the protesters, but he did not explicitly rule out an emergency decree to be imposed in the capital.
Clashes between police and protesters in their see-saw battle on Friday to take control of the Government House compound and accesses to it have seen some injuries among protesters and incited anger among the protesters, who later stormed city and national police headquarters in Bangkok, raided police trucks and equipments, and blocked at least three international airports in the southern tourist hub cities, causing cancellation of flights and temporary closure of the airports.
The police later backed off and let the protesters reseize their rally sites.
The country’s military top brass, including Army Chief Anupong Paojinda, has suggested that the military would not interfere in the confrontations between the government and the protesters by saying that an emergency decree was not due to quell the unrest.
