A grenade attack on Thai anti-government protesters occupying the prime minister’s office killed one person and wounded at least 23 early today.
The protesters have occupied the Government House compound since August and refuse to leave until Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat resigns or is overthrown.
The protest movement has been the focus of several small bomb and grenade attacks, but today’s was the first deadly assault at the compound.
The explosion occurred shortly after 3am while a band performed onstage on the front lawn outside the prime minister’s office, said one of the protest leaders.
The grenade landed on a giant tent near the stage that was sheltering dozens of people, he said.
“I was listening to the music when I heard a big bang. I ran to the stage and turned back to see several people lying on the ground,” said a woman who was among the wounded.
An army general, who was at the scene, said the device was an M-79 grenade that was fired by a grenade launcher from a nearby building.
The dead man was identified as a 48-year-old with shrapnel wounds to the chest.
The protesters, calling themselves the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), have vowed not to leave the grounds of Government House until the allies of ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra are removed from power.
Mr Somchai is Mr Thaksin’s former brother-in-law, and protesters call him Mr Thaksin’s proxy. Mr Somchai has been forced to operate out of a makeshift office at Bangkok’s old international airport.
The leader of PAD called for a major rally on Sunday to oust the "murderous" administration following the grenade attack. Sondhi Limthongkul accused the government of having a hand in the firing of the bomb.
"The PAD can no longer tolerate this murderous government that kills its people daily and cruelly," Mr Sondhi said in a statement.
"The PAD have therefore decided to call the biggest rally ever on November 23 at 2pm. to march to parliament to end the puppet government," he said.
Tensions are likely to remain high for some weeks, with Thaksin, now in exile having after skipping bail in a corruption case, set to address a mass rally of supporters around December 13th.
However, the army has said repeatedly another coup would not solve Thailand's fundamental political problems, and analysts say it is highly unlikely to change that view unless major street violence breaks out.
Agencies