BANGKOK — Protests that began a week ago continued to plague Bangkok on Sunday, when tens of thousands of people took to the streets in an attempt to bring down the government of Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. After a night in which at least three people were reportedly killed and scores more injured, tensions rose around Government House on Sunday, with police firing tear gas into the crowd as protestors tested the durability of barricades set up to protect the complex.
The protests are being led by former Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who met with Yingluck on Sunday but later vowed to continue the campaign to oust her. Yingluck’s brother Thaksin Shinawatra is at the center of the controversy. Also a former prime minister, Thaksin was removed from power in a 2006 military coup and was later convicted on corruption charges. He fled the country to avoid incarceration, and many accuse him of wielding political influence in exile through his sister.
The Irrawaddy’s photojournalist Steve Tickner was in Bangkok to document Sunday’s unrest. Read the full story from The Associated Press here.
