LIFE GOES ON AS USUAL IN BANGKOK

By D.Arul Rajoo

BANGKOK, Sept 2 (Bernama) -- Life goes on as usual in the Bangkok metropolitan Tuesday, hours after Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej declared a state of emergency following a violent clash that left one persondead early this morning, with growing signs that the under-siege government will finally crack down on anti-government protesters.

The state of emergency, which was last enforced in the capital after the
military ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Sept 19, 2006, would not
affect the people's lives, Samak told a news conference, saying that Army Chief
Gen Anupong Paojinda would take control of the security situation.

"The government is declaring the state of emergency because we want to
prevent more violence and to restore order and peace. We have carefully studied
the law and its implication but we have no choice...it will last a few days
only," said Samak, whose office has been hijacked by thousands of supporters of
the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) since Aug 26.

The PAD must now vacate the Government House, he said, adding that he was
puzzled as to why the people kept blaming the government for the ongoing crisis
and no one dared to criticise the PAD for starting the problem.

Hundreds of riot police and soldiers who moved in to restore order after
the clash that started after 1am have been withdrawn from the Makkawan Bridge
outside the Government House where pro-government supporters marched from Sanam
Luang and clashed with the rival PAD.

During the clash just outside the army and the United Nations Economic and
Social Commission for Asia Pacific headquarters, pro-government supporters,
wearing red t-shirts and headbands, broke the police barrier and confronted the
PAD group, mostly clad in yellow.

Several shots were fired during the clash and both sides fought with
sticks, helmets and PVC pipes while some were using slingshots and stones.
Bullets were
scattered on the road as dozens of ambulances rushed to the scene to ferry the
injured.

The Thai cabinet met at the Armed Forces headquarters for their weekly
meeting while Anupong is meeting key military and police officers to assess the
situation.

The authorities have closed 436 schools in the capital for three days while
several universities have also asked their students to stay at home. But most
parts of the capital remained calm as trains and buses were full with passengers
going to work.

At the site where the clash took place, PAD supporters, armed with stick
made from PVC and bamboo, kept guard as pro-government supporters returned to
Sanam Luang about 2km away where they have been camping since Saturday.

Inside the Government House, PAD leaders took to the stage and blamed Samak
for the early morning riot. The PAD also defied the state of emergency.

Media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul, who led massive demonstrations in 2006
that led to the ouster of Thaksin, said the PAD would remain in the compound
of the
Prime Minister' s Office despite the declaration of the state of
emergency.

"We will never move until Samak resigns," he told hundreds of cheering
people, mostly women, who have turned the lawn of the Government House into
their temporary shelter for the past eight days.

Samak is also facing further problems after the Election Commission agreed
today to ask the Constitution Court to dissolve his People Power Party (PPP) for
election fraud committed by former parliament speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat during
last year's election.

The PPP's predecessor, Thai Rak Thai, founded by Thaksin, was dissolved in
2007 by the court for similar offence committed during the 2006
election.

There were also reports that some PAD supporters have started to block
roads to airports in Hatyai and Krabi. On Friday, the anti-government protesters
forced the two airports, as well as the Phuket airport, to close.