By Sutin Wannabovorn
Associated Press
Thursday, August 28, 2008

BANGKOK, Aug. 27 -- Thai authorities stepped up pressure Wednesday on demonstrators occupying the grounds of the prime minister's office, getting court orders demanding that the crowd disperse and issuing arrest warrants for nine protest leaders on insurrection charges.

The actions raised tensions at the protest site, where at least 2,000 police officers faced a crowd of rightist demonstrators that appeared as large as the 30,000-strong throng that had protested the previous day, when the compound was seized.

About 5,000 members of the People's Alliance for Democracy camped on the grounds of Government House to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, and thousands filled adjoining streets.

A protest leader read the court orders to the crowd late Wednesday but said the demonstrators would ignore them pending appeals.

Dozens of demonstrators built makeshift barricades to hinder any police raid, despite their leaders saying they would not resist arrest. But while police were out in large numbers, they did not appear to be preparing to enforce the court orders quickly.

Samak said Tuesday that authorities would avoid using force against the demonstrators and would take a "soft and gentle" approach. He accused the protesters of trying to incite violence to provoke a coup but said he would not resign.

Gen. Anupong Paochinda, the army chief, reassured the public Tuesday that the military was not planning a coup and would stay out of politics.

The protest alliance wants Samak's government to quit, saying it is a proxy for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by the military in 2006 and recently fled to London in the face of corruption cases.

After Samak led Thaksin's political allies to a victory in national elections in December with the support of Thailand's rural majority, the alliance launched a protest campaign in May. The campaign escalated this week with the capture of Government House.

The capital's deputy police chief, Lt. Gen. Jongrak Chutanont, said the Bangkok Civil Court issued a ruling late Wednesday ordering all protesters to leave the government compound immediately and to stop blocking public streets.