Abhisit insists govt sought reconciliation with protesters

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva insisted Monday that his government wants to create reconciliation with the red-shirt protesters and had no intention to break up the demonstration at the Rajprasong Intersection.
Responding to allegations made by Pheu Thai MP Sunai Jullapongsathorn that his government was similar to the past dictatorial regimes to deploy troops to crush protesters, Abhisit said the government had no intention to use force to suppress the protesters.
Abhsit said the operation to reclaim traffic space in the afternoon on April 10 did not cause any death.
Abhisit said mayhem broke out at night when terrorists fired M79 grenades at troops in the evening on April 10.
The prime minister said the government did not plan to break up the rally at Rajprasong where there were women and children but the government had to act against armed gunmen at the outer areas of the protest zone.
He said the government simply wanted to besiege the protesters at Rajprasong to convince them to disperse on their own.
Abhisit said the government did not regard that all protesters were terrorists.
The Nation