Protests force ASEAN summit postponement

PATTAYA, Thailand, April 11 (UPI) -- Clashes between protesters prompted the Thai government to postpone Saturday's planned Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit, officials said.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva confirmed the summit's postponement and also announced a state of emergency in Pattaya, Thailand, after red-shirted members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship broke into the Royal Cliff Beach hotel, the venue of the 14th ASEAN Summit, the Bangkok Post reported.

Witnesses said the UDD members, who support ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, broke a glass door and spread across the conference venue, cheering and chanting for the resignation of Abhisit.

UDD leader Arisman Pongruengrong demanded that the red-shirts be allowed to enter the venue after clashing outside with blue-shirted counter protesters, whom he said were members of the Thai military. The UDD members were allowed to enter to hold a press conference, the newspaper said.

The confrontation outside the hotel had prevented the leaders of Japan, China and South Korea, who were housed elsewhere, from making their way to the summit venue, the Post reported.