Thai protesters, police talk at airports

BANGKOK, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Thai police said Friday they are negotiating with protesters occupying Bangkok's two major airports for the fourth straight day.

Police officials have sent in negotiators at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports, hoping to avoid a violent invasion to disperse the protesters of the People's Alliance for Democracy, who have vowed to force the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, The Guardian reported.

PAD members, including ordinary people camping out in the terminal areas and more militant protesters guarding roads leading to and from the airport, told the newspaper they had expected police to move against them overnight Friday after Somchai had declared national emergencies at the airports. But that didn't happen, with police indicating they would exhaust all efforts at negotiations first, the newspaper said.

"We are asking them to allow the airport to resume operations," Police Lt. Gen. Suchart Muenkaew, the chief negotiator, told reporters. "We will keep talking, but if it fails we will take other steps. The last step will be to disperse them."

PAD supporter Ra Werachon told The Times of London, "We are here for the Thai people, for our king. We aren't worried by this."