Thailand turmoil continues as protestors storm ministries

Global concern is rising over the situation in Thailand, where tension is once again on the rise. Thousands of protesters surrounded the interior ministry in Bangkok yesterday, intensifying their campaign to bring down the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

The latest run of anti-government rallies, which began last month, was triggered by a government-backed amnesty bill that could have led to the return of Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister and brother of incumbent Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

The United States has expressed concern about the rising tension in the South Asian country and called for restraint from violence.

"The US government is concerned about the rising political tension in Thailand and is following the ongoing demonstrations in Bangkok closely," state department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said in a statement.

Tens of thousands of protesters were forcing their way into key ministries in Bangkok, the nation's capital, and calling for Yingluck's government to resign, raising the political tensions to a level not seen in the Southeast Asian nation since the deadly unrest of 2010.

The protesters are defying a tough security law imposed late on Monday, after they had stormed two other ministries in control of Yingluck and her billionaire brother Thaksin Shinawatra.

Suthep Thaugsuban, the protest leader and a former deputy prime minister under the previous government, urged supporters to mount more blockades of government buildings on Wednesday, not only in Bangkok but across the country.

"Go to every ministry and make sure they are all surrounded, so they can no longer work for the Thaksin regime," Thaugsuban told tens of thousands of flag-waving protesters in a late night speech at the finance ministry headquarters now occupied by the agitators.

As crowds swelled on the streets, Yingluck and her ruling Puea Thai Party are locked in a two-day confidence debate in parliament, where they hold a commanding majority. The opposition has accused them of corruption and trying to pass laws to whitewash Thaksin of a graft conviction.

Civil servants fled as groups of demonstrators surrounded the interior, agriculture, tourism and transport ministries in blockades that have plunged Thailand into its deepest political uncertainty since it was convulsed by the bloodiest unrest in a generation in 2010.

"Getting rid of the Thaksin regime is not easy," Thaugsuban told Reuters in an interview earlier. The demonstration "might be longer" than the three days originally planned, he said.

Thaksin is a former telecommunications tycoon who is hugely popular with poor urban and rural voters who have put him, or his party, into power in every election since 2001.

He was ousted in a 2006 military coup that was largely welcomed by Bangkok's middle class. He has hovered ghost-like over Thai politics since fleeing the country in 2008, accused of undermining the powerful monarchy, breaching conflict-of-interest laws and sentenced in absentia to two years in prison.