Thai protesters urged not to stop until victory gained

Thailand's anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban on Monday asked protesters marching outside the Government House not to go home until they have gained "the people's victory." "Maybe, we'd have to spend another night on the street around here. We will not go home until we have won," Suthep said to the nearly 100,000 protesters who departed in the morning from various sites to besiege the Government House. He did not elaborate about "the people's victory" after the month-long street protests. The former deputy premier categorically rejected Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's dissolution of the lower house in the morning, which will be followed by a general election in a 60-days time. He insisted that a "people's council" be set up to run the country on "transitional" basis instead of Yingluck's caretaker government. None of the protesters has invaded or occupied the Government House as yet while some 300 army soldiers have remained inside its compound after hundreds of policemen have left in the afternoon. The unarmed troops have been deployed only to protect the premises in which no member of the caretaker cabinet has been found.