04/12 | 12:16 GMT 
BANGKOK (AFP) - Thailand's embattled premier Monday accused "terrorists" of inciting the country's bloodiest civil violence in almost two decades as protesters paraded their dead through the tense streets of Bangkok.
With no sign of an end to the deep political turmoil, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva insisted the government remained united in how to tackle the crisis but the defiant "Red Shirt" protesters said the time for negotiation was over.
"From the overall picture we clearly found that terrorists used pro-democracy protesters to incite the unrest, hoping for total change in our country," Abhisit said in a nationally televised address.
"The government is unified and determined to solve this problem."
Both sides appeared more deeply entrenched than ever following Saturday's violence in the heart of the capital that killed 21 people and left a trail of destruction through popular tourist areas.
Seventeen civilians, including a Japanese cameraman, and four soldiers were killed after the army launched a crackdown on the supporters of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra who have staged weeks of mass demonstrations.
Pick-up trucks carrying two slain protesters and 14 empty caskets draped with Thai flags and flowers paraded through Bangkok Monday and thousands of protesters later massed outside Abhisit's house, guarded by hundreds of police.
The Red Shirts, who hail from mainly poor and rural areas of Thailand, insist they will not end their campaign until the government calls fresh polls immediately and Abhisit stands down.
Tourists shaken after Bangkok bloodshed
"Th
ere will be no talks with the government. We will not talk with killers," said Reds leader Jatuporn Prompan. "What else is there to talk about?"
Army chief Anupong Paojinda said he supported early elections to end the crisis that has gripped Thailand since Thaksin was ousted in 2006.
Thai PM running out of options after deadly clashes
"We must return to politics to solve the problem. It must be ended by political means," Anupong told reporters, suggesting that he was reluctant to use force again to put down the protests.
Abhisit offered during talks last month to hold elections by the end of 2010 -- one year ahead of schedule -- but protest leaders insist they want immediate polls.
The government on Monday also played down local media reports that Abhisit might offer to bring forward the election to October.
"There was no talk of elections in October yet," government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn told AFP.
The Reds, accusing the government of being elitist and ignoring their concerns, have staged a month of mass rallies in Bangkok, dealing a heavy blow to the vital tourist sector.
Deepening fears about the impact of the crisis on the economy sent Thai stocks plunging more than five percent at one point on Monday, as Thailand's neighbours voiced their concern about the turmoil.
The Reds charge that the government is illegitimate because it came to power in 2008 after a court ousted allies of telecoms tycoon Thaksin from power.
Many are seeking the return of Thaksin, who was toppled in a bloodless coup in 2006 but is hailed by the poor for his policies for the masses, such as cheap healthcare.
Shaken tourists have been seen packing up and leaving the capital after bloody clashes spread into the Khaosan Road backpacker district, where Thai flags, red roses and incense sticks were placed on pools of blood.
Saturday's violence erupted when troops tried to clear one of two sites in the centre of the city which have been occupied by the protesters for the past month.
As the clashes intensified, gunshots echoed around the city and both sides accused the other of using live ammunition. Emergency services said two protesters were killed by gunshot wounds to the head.
The authorities said assault rifles and grenades were used by some people among the demonstrators.
One group of soldiers was taken hostage by the Reds but police later said they had been released. The bodies of the four soldiers were due to be returned to their families for private funerals after autopsies.
Police in Japan plan to launch a probe into the killing of the Japanese cameraman during the clashes, Kyodo News said from Tokyo, quoting unnamed police sources.
AFP
©AFP / Roslan Rahman
"Red Shirt" protesters ride towards a rally site on a motorbike in central Bangkok
With no sign of an end to the deep political turmoil, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva insisted the government remained united in how to tackle the crisis but the defiant "Red Shirt" protesters said the time for negotiation was over.
"From the overall picture we clearly found that terrorists used pro-democracy protesters to incite the unrest, hoping for total change in our country," Abhisit said in a nationally televised address.
"The government is unified and determined to solve this problem."
Both sides appeared more deeply entrenched than ever following Saturday's violence in the heart of the capital that killed 21 people and left a trail of destruction through popular tourist areas.
Seventeen civilians, including a Japanese cameraman, and four soldiers were killed after the army launched a crackdown on the supporters of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra who have staged weeks of mass demonstrations.
Pick-up trucks carrying two slain protesters and 14 empty caskets draped with Thai flags and flowers paraded through Bangkok Monday and thousands of protesters later massed outside Abhisit's house, guarded by hundreds of police.
The Red Shirts, who hail from mainly poor and rural areas of Thailand, insist they will not end their campaign until the government calls fresh polls immediately and Abhisit stands down.
Tourists shaken after Bangkok bloodshed
"Th
©AFPTV
VIDEO: Thailand in turmoil after 21 die in bloody clashes. Duration: 01:13
Army chief Anupong Paojinda said he supported early elections to end the crisis that has gripped Thailand since Thaksin was ousted in 2006.
Thai PM running out of options after deadly clashes
"We must return to politics to solve the problem. It must be ended by political means," Anupong told reporters, suggesting that he was reluctant to use force again to put down the protests.
Abhisit offered during talks last month to hold elections by the end of 2010 -- one year ahead of schedule -- but protest leaders insist they want immediate polls.
The government on Monday also played down local media reports that Abhisit might offer to bring forward the election to October.
"There was no talk of elections in October yet," government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn told AFP.
The Reds, accusing the government of being elitist and ignoring their concerns, have staged a month of mass rallies in Bangkok, dealing a heavy blow to the vital tourist sector.
Deepening fears about the impact of the crisis on the economy sent Thai stocks plunging more than five percent at one point on Monday, as Thailand's neighbours voiced their concern about the turmoil.
The Reds charge that the government is illegitimate because it came to power in 2008 after a court ousted allies of telecoms tycoon Thaksin from power.
Many are seeking the return of Thaksin, who was toppled in a bloodless coup in 2006 but is hailed by the poor for his policies for the masses, such as cheap healthcare.
©AFP / Manpreet Romana
Anti-government protesters break down during a memorial ceremony for the victims of clashes
Saturday's violence erupted when troops tried to clear one of two sites in the centre of the city which have been occupied by the protesters for the past month.
As the clashes intensified, gunshots echoed around the city and both sides accused the other of using live ammunition. Emergency services said two protesters were killed by gunshot wounds to the head.
The authorities said assault rifles and grenades were used by some people among the demonstrators.
One group of soldiers was taken hostage by the Reds but police later said they had been released. The bodies of the four soldiers were due to be returned to their families for private funerals after autopsies.
Police in Japan plan to launch a probe into the killing of the Japanese cameraman during the clashes, Kyodo News said from Tokyo, quoting unnamed police sources.
AFP
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