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BANGKOK - Thailand's embattled premier vowed legal action Sunday against anti-government protesters who reduced a showcase Asian summit to a shambles and exposed the nation to international embarrassment.
Abhisit Vejjajiva made the pledge in an address on national television, a day after supporters of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra stormed the meeting in the beach resort of Pattaya.
Security forces stood aside as thousands of demonstrators swarmed into the venue, forcing authorities to evacuate foreign leaders by helicopter.
The summit was being held to discuss the global financial crisis and North Korea's rocket launch, and Abhisit had hoped it would demonstrate Thailand's recovery from years of often violent political turmoil.
Instead, the fiasco took Thailand's problems onto the international stage for the first time since protesters occupied Bangkok's two airports late last year, stranding hundreds of thousands of airline passengers.
"I promise that in the next three to four days there will be legal action taken" against the protesters, Abhisit said on television.
He said he had met military officials to discuss the security failure, when troops and riot police let the protesters storm the luxury summit venue.
The demonstrators, wearing red shirts as a symbol of loyalty to the exiled Thaksin, smashed through glass doors and ran riot throughout the hotel, coming within metres of Asian dignitaries as they had lunch.
Foreign leaders voiced shock at the disruption to the summit, which grouped the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.
"This is disappointing for all heads of government," Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of Australia said after his plane was turned around a few hours before it was due to arrive in Pattaya.
"Obviously, there are deep problems in Thai domestic politics at present," he said, adding the meeting would have to be reconvened to discuss "important business" on the regional economy.
Thaksin's supporters have vowed to pursue their campaign until British-born Abhisit, who came to power in December, stands down and calls elections.
Police said some 2,000 Thaksin loyalists rallied Sunday in Bangkok outside the premier's office, where protesters have staged a sit-in for more than two weeks, although numbers were down because of the Thai new year Monday.
Local newspapers criticised Abhisit's handling of the protests and said the country's international image had been "destroyed."
"Yesterday was a truly shameful day for our country," the Bangkok Post said in a front-page editorial, adding that Abhisit's government was "to blame for mishandling the situation in Bangkok and Pattaya."
Abhisit however rejected calls to quit and urged Thais to be patient while several "inconvenient" measures were taken to restore normality, although they were not specified.
"We know that people expect the government to maintain law and order and to carry on our work, because if the government cannot work, people will have no one to rely upon," he said
His opponents say Abhisit is a stooge of the powerful military and that he came to power undemocratically after a court ruling forced political allies of Thaksin from government in December.
Thailand has been riven by turmoil since the military led a bloodless coup in September 2006 that toppled Thaksin.
He retains deep support among the poor but is loathed by the elite in the palace, military and bureaucracy.
Thaksin remains in exile to avoid a two-year jail term for corruption, but has rallied supporters -- and incensed the government -- with almost nightly video and telephone speeches from an unidentified foreign hideout.
"I thank the Red Shirts in Pattaya who showed strength," Thaksin said late Saturday.
"In the next few days we will see real change. Red Shirts in Bangkok and elsewhere must now act immediately so that we can change our country." - AFP/vm
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