Thai anti-government protesters march towards ASEAN venue

May 9th, 2009 MOHALI - A small group of protesters claiming to be victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots Saturday evening burnt an effigy of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi near the venue of his election rally here. The protesters were carrying flags and anti-Congress banners even before Gandhi arrived for his rally.

April 26th, 2009 Thai PM suggests postponed summit will be in JuneBANGKOK — Thailand's prime minister said Sunday he hopes a regional summit meeting will be rescheduled for June after it was canceled earlier this month when anti-government protests stormed the venue. Abhisit Vejjajiva, speaking in his weekly radio and television address to the nation, said the rescheduling of the meeting of government leaders in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is now being coordinated among the 15 other countries involved.

April 13th, 2009 BANGKOK - Two men were killed in the Thai capital after anti-government protesters clashed with residents near their main rally site Monday night, according to reports and officials. As the city braced for a final army move against protesters, who closed down much of the city over the weekend, the so-called Red Shirts fired shots at people not far from the main rally site.

April 13th, 2009 BANGKOK - At least 68 people were wounded when soldiers and anti-government protesters clashed in Bangkok early Monday, 14 hours after the Thai prime minister declared a state of emergency in the capital city. The clash occurred around 4.30 a.m.

April 13th, 2009 BANGKOK - Thai soldiers fired shots in the air early Monday and used tear gas against protestors blocking a main road junction in Bangkok, witnesses said. The city health department reported that 68 people had been treated for injuries, mostly minor, after troops cleared the intersection.

April 12th, 2009 MOSCOW - Russia's foreign ministry Sunday advised citizens against visiting the capital of Thailand where a state of emergency was declared over protests staged by the opposition. 'The foreign ministry recommends Russian citizens to carefully weigh the expediency of trips to Thailand during the period of the state of emergency,' the ministry said in a statement, adding that there were clashes in Bangkok between police and protesters.

April 11th, 2009 PATTAYA - A meeting between China and the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit was postponed as anti-government and pro-government protesters clashed at the summit venue here, acting government spokesman Panithan Watanayagorn said. 'We don't want the incident to happen.

April 11th, 2009 PATTAYA - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Saturday suffered the major embarrassment of having to postpone a summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) with its dialogue partners, after it was sabotaged by anti-government protests. The so-called Red-shirt demonstrators, loyal to fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, overran the press centre of the summit venue in the early afternoon, after thousands of soldiers and police had failed to hold them back.

April 11th, 2009 PATTAYA - Thai officials decided to cancel a summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Saturday after anti-government protesters broke into the summit venue at Pattaya, a resort town 100 km south of Bangkok. The Thai government said the summit between ASEAN members and six dialogue partners, including China, Japan and India, was postponed and would be held in about two months.

April 11th, 2009 PATTAYA - Clashes between anti-government and pro-government supporters Saturday delayed meetings at a summit of the southeast Asian leaders at the Thai seaside resort of Pattaya. Meetings between South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and ministers from China, South Korea and Japan were delayed, but will go ahead, Thai government spokesman Panitan Watanagorn said, rejecting reports that the meetings were cancelled.

April 7th, 2009 BANGKOK - The Thai prime minister's vehicle was trapped among angry protesters Tuesday afternoon in Pattaya before he finally escaped, Thai media reported. According to the Nation's website, the attack happened at 1.15 p.m.

January 25th, 2009 BANGKOK - A free trade agreement (FTA) between India and South-East Asia will be signed at the upcoming summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) if the Thai parliament approves the pact, officials said Monday. 'The ASEAN economic ministers have invited the Indian commerce minister to sign the FTA Feb 26,' said Tharit Charungvat, Thai foreign ministry spokesman.

January 24th, 2009 BANGKOK - A free trade agreement between India and South-east Asia is expected to be signed at the upcoming summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), state-run media reported Sunday. Director-general Apiradi Tantraporn of Thailand's Foreign Trade Department said the pact was planned for the 14th Asean Summit scheduled Feb 27-March 1 at Hua Hin beach resort, 130 km south-west of Bangkok, the Thai News Agency reported.

January 18th, 2009 KUALA LUMPUR - India is likely to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during the 14th summit of the bloc slated for February in Thailand. Thailand's Nation newspaper said that India would submit a letter to the Thai Commerce Ministry later Monday, saying it will sign the long-awaited FTA with ASEAN during next month's summit.

January 6th, 2009 BANGKOK - Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Wednesday announced that the 14th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) will be held in Hua Hin town and not in the Thai capital as planned earlier. He said the decision to shift the venue was taken in view of security reasons.