Police allow protesters to enter Metropolitan Police Bureau, approach Government House

BANGKOK, December 3 (TNA) - Police have allowed anti-government protesters to enter the Metropolitan Police Bureau and to approach Government House in Bangkok, ending confrontations by the two sides. Metropolitan Police Chief Police Lieutenant General Khamronwit told reporters on Tuesday morning that he had ordered police to stop defending the Metropolitan Police Bureau by clashing with anti-government protesters and using tear gas, but opening the Metropolitan Police Bureau's gate to the protesters for the sake of national peace. Police Lieutenant General Khamronwit noted that people who are taxpayers have the right to enter government offices. According to the metropolitan police chief, protesters have their reasons and police need to exercise patience, the stance of which is shared by Thai Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. After riot police were withdrawn, protesters removed barriers and barbed wire to approach the Government House, shouting joyfully for the advance. Suthep Thaugsuban, secretary-general of the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), announced that police's opening of the the Metropolitan Police Bureau showed that police already lost, insisting that he would not escape an arrest warrant against him on charges of treason and other offenses and he was not worried over reports that police would arrest him. Labour Minister Chalerm Yubamrung said that he believed Suthep would surrender to police and stand trial in a court on December 12, as earlier scheduled, and that the majority of Thai people would not support the PDRC's demands, suggesting that unrest should be ended before December 5, the birthday anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Meanwhile, the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau led senior police officers to boost morale of over 1,000 riot police at Pol 1 Intersection near the Government House and handed two million baht for them, given by the prime minister. The metropolitan police chief also thanked the riot police for protecting government offices for two days, telling them that protesters are fellow Thais and compatriots should not attack each other.(TNA)