THAILAND: Grenade kills one anti-government protester and injures 22 at Bangkok's Don Muang airport

Record ID: 356801

  • Title: THAILAND: Grenade kills one anti-government protester and injures 22 at Bangkok's Don Muang airport
  • Date: 2nd December 2008
  • Summary: PROTESTERS IN DOMESTIC AIRPORT VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS SITTING IN THE AIRPORT
  • Embargoed: 17th December 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Thailand
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2MIGCFYN59373XZO1UEHL6W5H
  • Story Text: A bomb is thrown at anti-government protesters at Bangkok's Don Muang airport, killing one and wounding 22 protesters.
    A grenade killed an anti-government protester at Bangkok's blockaded Don Muang airport on Tuesday (December 2), hours before a vote fraud case that could force the prime minister Somchai Wongsawat and much of his cabinet to resign.
    Thai media said an M79 grenade was fired from a flyover near the domestic airport, occupied along with the main international airport by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in its escalating campaign to topple the government.
    Around 22 people were wounded in the airport attack shortly after midnight. An emergency services official said 17 had already been discharged from hospital.

    "I was getting to sleep when it exploded, there were twenty people down there and a protester was killed," said one protester.
    The PAD leader told the crowd to move inside the terminal to ensure their safety after the bomb.
    Hundreds of PAD protesters moved to the airports from the Government House on Monday (December 1), which they had been occupied since late August.

    "I'm getting used to this kind of incident since I was in the Government House, and there were several bombs there," said a protester.
    The protesters have occupied Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Don Muang airport, in their campaign to topple Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, whom the PAD has accused of being a pawn for his brother-in-law, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and who has been in exile ever since.
    On Tuesday, the Constitutional Court has moved with uncharacteristic speed to wrap up the case and is expected to order the disbanding of Somchai's People Power Party (PPP) and two coalition partners.
    If it does, Somchai and other leaders would be barred from politics and many cabinet ministers would have to step down. The PPP's dissolution, however, will not necessarily mean a snap election as many MPs will simply switch to a new "shell" party.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Footage contains identifiable children: users must ensure that they comply with local laws and regulations governing the publishing of this material.
Register