Thai anti-gov´t protesters start to retreat from Summit venue

PATTAYA, Thailand, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of anti-government
protesters started to retreat from the royal Cliff Hotel, the venue of the 14th
ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, on Friday after handing a letter to ASEAN
leaders.

Protestors confront with military police at the Royal Cliff Beach Hotel, venue of the ASEAN plus summits, in Pattaya, Thailand, on April 10, 2009. The red-shirted anti-government protestors left nearby areas of the hotel on Friday evening. (Xinhua Photo)

Roads leading to the Summit venue have been reopened and traffic has been
resumed.

Protesters' leader, Arisman Phongruangrong, handed over "the letter of
demand" to Bara Kuma Palaniappan, a senior official from ASEAN Secretariat. The
protesters said they had no intention to disrupt the meeting but to show their
democratic rights.

Protestors confront with military police at the Royal Cliff Beach Hotel, venue of the ASEAN plus summits, in Pattaya, Thailand, on April 10, 2009. (Xinhua photo)

Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, secretary-general of ASEAN (the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations), told reporters that protesters have assured him that they will
not disrupt the Summit and called on the police to exercise utmost restraint and
try to resolve the situation through negotiation.

Earlier in the day, thousands of anti-government "red-shirt" protesters broke
through an army cordon and marched towards the Summit venue.

The protesters shouted slogans against Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva,
demanding him to step down and dissolve the House.

"Abhisit get out! If this government does not accept our demands we will not
go home," shouted the protesters.

Police armed with shields reported heavy traffic jams on several roads.

Supporters of former Thai Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra are blocked by riot
policemen near the venue of the 14th ASEAN
Summit and Related Summits in Pattaya April
10, 2009. Anti-government protesters converged
on the Thai beach town of Pattaya on Friday
with plans to disrupt an Asian summit as part
of efforts to try to force Prime Minister
Abhisit Vejjajiva to step down.(Xinhua/Reuters
Photo)



Protestors confront with military police at the Royal
Cliff Beach Hotel, venue of the ASEAN plus summits, in
Pattaya, Thailand, on April 10, 2009. (Xinhua Photo)



A demonstrator holds a portrait of former Thailand Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra during an anti-government
protest at the Victory monument in Bangkok April 10, 2009.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has called a holiday
for Friday, taking people off the street to give the
authorities room to nip growing political unrest in the bud
and provide better security at an Asian summit. Thailand has
a holiday from Monday to Wednesday, April 13 to 15, when many
of the anti-government protesters who have flooded into Bangkok
will probably go home, and media said Abhisit hoped the extra
day would help take the heat out of the situation. (Xinhua/Reuters
Photo)