8 injured in grenade attack on anti-govt protestors in Bangkok

Bangkok, Nov 22 (UNI) Eight people were injured when a grenade was thrown early today on anti-government protestors in Bangkok in the second such attack this week.

Two men on a motorcycle threw the M-79 grenade at cadres of the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) who have been forcibly occupying the Prime Minister's Office here for the past three months.

Doctors this afternoon denied local media reports that one of the injured had succumbed to serious brain injuries.

The incident comes a day before a march by PAD members and supporters to the nearby Parliament building to prevent the government from holding a scheduled legislative session on Monday.

One person was killed and more than 20 were injured two days ago in a similar grenade attack at the PAD protest site inside the Prime Minister's Office.

The attacks have added to growing concerns of violence during PAD's announced seige of Parliament starting tomorrow, which is expected to mobilise thousands of people.

Tens of thousands of Mr Thaksin's supporters have rallied behind the government and plan to counter the PAD blockade of Parliament, raising concerns of violence on Bangkok streets next week leading to another coup d'etat.

The PAD accuses Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat's government of being a proxy of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who has been sentenced to jail by the Supreme Court on corruption charges.

Mr Thaksin, who has mostly lived abroad in self-imposed exile since his ouster by a group of top armed forces commanders in September 2006, alleges he is facing political persecution by sections of Thailand's traditional ruling elite uneasy with his populist appeal.

UNI XC RJ UCS1602