Thailand's beleaguered premier faced mounting pressure Saturday to end almost one month of mass protests as doubts grew about whether he has the full support of the powerful military.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva insisted he would not cede to the Red Shirts' demand for snap elections, after they stormed a television broadcaster and managed to put their channel back on air for a few hours.
Thousands of demonstrators continued to occupy a key intersection in the capital's main commercial district, where they have blocked traffic and caused several big shopping centres to close.
Tens of thousands of police and soldiers have been mobilised to restore order, but top Reds brushed aside rumours that the army was preparing to forcibly disperse the demonstrators.
"I'd like to tell Abhisit that you can come and crack down on our rally anytime," a Red Shirt leader, Nattawut Saikuar, said from the rally stage set up in the heart of Bangkok that has become the focus of the protests.
"We want to stay until you dissolve the House."
The Reds, many of whom support ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, accuse the government of being illegitimate because it came to power with military backing in 2008 after a court ousted Thaksin's allies from power.
But the army's apparent reluctance to use force to end the rallies has fanned talk of "watermelon" soldiers -- green on the outside due to their uniforms, but red on the inside owing to their sympathy with the protesters.
Many troops were seen retreating Friday and shaking hands with demonstrators outside the Thaicom TV broadcaster, where security forces used tear gas and water cannon in a vain attempt to repel the protesters.
The Reds managed to restore their anti-government People Television (PTV), which was shut down Thursday under emergency rule aimed at quelling the turmoil. But troops later retook the building, pulling the plug again.
"We managed to regain control of Thaicom satellite station at 10 pm (1500 GMT) last night and cut off PTV shortly after," said army spokesman Sunsern Kaewkumnerd.
"The station is now totally under military control," he added.
Arrest warrants have been issued for many of the top leaders of the red-clad movement, but so far none are reported to have been taken into custody.
Abhisit, who remained holed up at an army barracks, insisted his government would not back down.
"I instructed all officials, police and soldiers that we have no right to be disheartened or fail with this mission," he said late Friday, adding that the top priority was to uphold the rule of the law.
Security forces maintained a heavy presence in Bangkok Saturday as mass anti-government protests, which began on March 12, dragged on with no end in sight.
A grenade exploded at the Police Crime Suppression Division unit in a northern suburb of Bangkok early Saturday but no one was hurt, officials said -- the latest in a series of minor blasts.
The rallies are the latest chapter in years of political turmoil in Thailand pitting Bangkok's ruling elite against the mainly poor and rural Reds.
The country has been riven by political tensions since a bloodless coup ousted telecoms tycoon-turned-premier Thaksin in 2006.
The government has said it does not want to use force to break up the protests, but invoked emergency rule after protesters briefly forced their way into the parliament compound, forcing lawmakers to flee.
The government has banned public gatherings of more than five people and given broad powers to the police and army, but it is anxious to avoid a repeat of clashes last April that left two people dead.
Source: AFP