Troops on standby as 2 die in anti-govt violence, 400 injured

Bangkok, Oct 7 (UNI) Unarmed soldiers were on standby tonight on the Thai capital's streets as day-long clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces claimed two lives and left nearly four hundred others injured.

An Army spokesman said the troops had been deployed to assist the police in controlling the anti-government protests.

According to public health authorities, more than 381 people were injured since early morning today when police fired tear gas and smoke bombs to clear anti-government protesters who had blocked the entrance to Parliament to prevent Prime Minister Somchai Songsawat from announcing his government's policies to the House.

Thai TV news channels showed cadres of the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) clashing with police throughout the day near Parliament building. A PAD activist ran down several policemen in a commandeered pickup truck, seriously injuring many.

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