Police and Anti-government Protesters Clash in Bangkok

Thai police today clashed with thousands of anti-government protesters in Bangkok.

The scuffles broke out during a demonstration intended to put pressure on the prime minister, Samak Sundaravej, to resign.

Protesters claim his government is a proxy for the former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup two years ago.

Samak's People's Power party won a general election last December.

His cabinet is packed with Thaksin's allies, and opposition politicians say one of his administration's top priorities is rehabilitating the ousted PM.

Around 10,000 demonstrators, spearheaded by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) movement, are converging on Government House in Bangkok, the co-PAD leader, Chamlong Srimuang, a retired major general, said.

Police equipped with tear gas and water cannons have put up barricades around the compound.

Major General Surapol Tuanthong, a police spokesman, said about 5,000 officers had been deployed to block roads, preventing "the mob" from getting near.

One group of 1,000 protesters broke through a line of about 200 police officers at barricades, but were stopped by other security forces.

Another group of several thousand pushed against police armed with shields and clubs.

Around a dozen protesters sustained minor injuries during the scuffles, but an almost festive atmosphere prevailed as protesters waved, cheered and talked to security officials.

The PAD, a collection of businessmen, academics and royalists united by a dislike of Thaksin, called on hundreds of thousands of people to attend the protest.

The Metropolitan police chief, Lieutenant-General Aswin Kwanmuang, said leaders of the PAD, whose 2005 campaign against Thaksin led to the military coup two years ago, should abandon their siege of Government House.

"We urge the PAD not to damage the country further. Political problems should be solved in parliament, not on the street," he said.

The army chief, Anupong Paochinda - a member of the military council that ousted Thaksin - insisted the army would not get involved, saying: "Politics must be resolved by political means."