Thousands of
protesters in Thailand are still occupying the government's main compound in
Bangkok Thursday, despite a court order to leave.
A civil court issued a
ruling Wednesday at the government's request for the protesters to leave the
compound and the surrounding area immediately.
But it appears police have
taken no action to enforce the order.
Thousands of activists have
occupied the compound since Tuesday, saying they will not end their protest
until Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej resigns.
On Wednesday, a criminal
court in Bangkok issued arrest warrants for nine protest leaders. No arrests
have been reported yet. Court officials said the nine are facing charges of
inciting unrest and trying to overthrow the government.
Some of the
arrest warrants are for leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy, which
has been the main organizing force behind the rally.
An estimated 30,000
people Wednesday surrounded the Government House compound, which includes the
prime minister's office. Several thousand entered the grounds of the compound,
prompting a brief clash with police.
Prime Minister Samak, whose seven
months in office have been punctuated by anti-government protests, says he will
not step down. He says the protesters want to prompt a military coup like the
one that unseated his predecessor, Thaksin Shinawatra, in 2006.
The
protesters say Mr. Samak is too close to Mr. Thaksin, who is accused of
corruption and has fled to Britain.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.