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Red Shirts protesting in Bangkok yesterday although their numbers have dwindled. AFPMar 19, 2010
Agencies
BANGKOK - The Thai Prime Minister said yesterday he was open to negotiations with red-shirted protesters who have massed in the capital to demand that he step down and call snap elections.
"I am ready to talk with any Red groups ... I have no objection to talking because political issues must be resolved by political means," said Mr Abhisit Vejjajiva in a nationally-televised speech.
The government was also ready to discuss the dissolution of Parliament "if every party agrees that the dissolution will truly lead to genuine peace", he added.
Despite the olive branch to supporters of ousted Premier Thaksin Shinawatra, Mr Abhisit's spokesman confirmed yesterday that the Premier had told lawyers to begin legal action against Mr Thaksin and Red Shirt leaders for making false accusations against him.
In a recent speech via video link, Mr Thaksin accused Mr Abhisit of being as dictatorial as Adolph Hitler, the World War II leader of Nazi Germany.
Thai police said they are also preparing a case for legal action against those who rallied and threw bags of blood and other objects into Mr Abhisit's house on Wednesday.
Thousands of demonstrators remained encamped in Bangkok yesterday to keep up the pressure on Mr Abhisit, who already has rejected several of the protesters' deadlines to dissolve Parliament.
Protest leaders - who have vowed to stir up a "class war" until the government is ousted - sought to reach out to Bangkok's middle class in their campaign against the political and aristocratic elite.
"I ask workers and government employees who feel injustice to join us," said Mr Suporn Atthawong, a protest leader.
As their numbers dwindled to 38,000 at the rally site, the remaining Red Shirts said they would temporarily scale back their demonstrations in order to conserve energy and resources.
They have vowed to step up their protest again tomorrow.
"I am ready to talk with any Red groups ... I have no objection to talking because political issues must be resolved by political means," said Mr Abhisit Vejjajiva in a nationally-televised speech.
The government was also ready to discuss the dissolution of Parliament "if every party agrees that the dissolution will truly lead to genuine peace", he added.
Despite the olive branch to supporters of ousted Premier Thaksin Shinawatra, Mr Abhisit's spokesman confirmed yesterday that the Premier had told lawyers to begin legal action against Mr Thaksin and Red Shirt leaders for making false accusations against him.
In a recent speech via video link, Mr Thaksin accused Mr Abhisit of being as dictatorial as Adolph Hitler, the World War II leader of Nazi Germany.
Thai police said they are also preparing a case for legal action against those who rallied and threw bags of blood and other objects into Mr Abhisit's house on Wednesday.
Thousands of demonstrators remained encamped in Bangkok yesterday to keep up the pressure on Mr Abhisit, who already has rejected several of the protesters' deadlines to dissolve Parliament.
Protest leaders - who have vowed to stir up a "class war" until the government is ousted - sought to reach out to Bangkok's middle class in their campaign against the political and aristocratic elite.
"I ask workers and government employees who feel injustice to join us," said Mr Suporn Atthawong, a protest leader.
As their numbers dwindled to 38,000 at the rally site, the remaining Red Shirts said they would temporarily scale back their demonstrations in order to conserve energy and resources.
They have vowed to step up their protest again tomorrow.
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