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Deadly attack on Thai protesters

May 15, 2014

Two people have died in a gun and grenade attack on anti-government demonstrators at a protest site in Bangkok. Protesters are calling on Thailand's upper house to remove the country's caretaker administration.

https://p.dw.com/p/1C0NF
An anti-government protester waves a national flag in front of riot police officers and soldiers guarding the entrance of the National Broadcast Services of Thailand (NBT) television station in Bangkok May 9, 2014. The interim government is hoping to organise a July 20 election that it would probably win, but the protesters want the government out, the election postponed and reforms to end the influence of Yingluck's brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, speaking to supporters in a city park, urged them to rally outside parliament, the prime minister's offices and five television stations to prevent them being used by the government. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
Image: Reuters

Police said two M79 grenades were launched into a protest camp near the city's Democracy Monument at 3 a.m. local time (2000 UTC) on Thursday, followed by gunshots.

One of the dead was said to have been a sleeping protester while the other was believed to have been guarding the site. Bangkok's Erawan Medical center said that 22 people had also been wounded.

There were no initial indications as to who was responsible for the attack, which takes the death toll from the past six months of violence in Thailand to 27.

The anti-government protesters are urging the Thai Senate to invoke a clause that would remove a caretaker government loyal to deposed Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Largely royalist opponents of the government claim it is little more than a puppet of exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra - Yingluck's brother.

Red Shirts' civil war threat

Thailand's political crisis deepened last week when the country's Constitutional Court removed Yingluck from her post as premier - as well as nine cabinet ministers - over an abuse of power case.

Fears have grown over the past week that the political discord could in turn be played out on the streets, with "Red Shirt" supporters of Yingluck's Puea Thai party - who have vowed to defend the government - rallying in a nearby suburb of the capital.

The Red Shirts have become increasingly disgruntled since Yingluck's removal from office, warning of a civil war if their government is deposed and a new prime minister appointed.

rc/jm (AP, AFP, Reuters)