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Thailand works to disperse protesters

The government got court orders to have thousands removed and their leaders arrested, heightening tensions.

BANGKOK, Thailand - Thai authorities stepped up pressure yesterday 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. There, at least 2,000 police faced a crowd of rightist demonstrators that appeared to number as many as the 30,000 estimated to have protested Tuesday when the compound was seized.

About 5,000 members of the People's Alliance for Democracy camped on the Government House grounds to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej. Thousands more filled the streets. A protest leader read the court orders to the crowd yesterday but said protesters would ignore them pending appeals.

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

Samak said Tuesday that authorities would avoid using force against the demonstrators. He accused the protesters of trying to incite violence that could provoke a coup, but said he would not resign. Gen. Anupong Paochinda, the army chief, said the military was not planning a coup and would stay out of politics.

The protesters want Samak's government to quit, saying it is a proxy for Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted as prime minister by the military in 2006 and recently fled to London amid several corruption cases.