Bangkok Cut off: Second Airport Closed

The battering of Thailand continues Thursday as authorities were forced to shut down Bangkok's second airport after it was swarmed by anti-government protesters, the closure cut off the capital from the rest of the world as the prime minister rejected resignation demands, deepening the country's crisis.

Thailand's powerful army commander, who has remained neutral in the conflict, stepped into the fray Wednesday, urging Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat to step down.

He also asked thousands of protesters to end their siege of the main international Suvarnabhumi airport. It has been shut since Tuesday night, leaving hundreds of flights canceled and drawing world attention to a turmoil that has reduced Thailand to a dysfunctional nation.

The anti-government protests, which gathered pace four months ago, have paralyzed the government, battered the stock market, spooked foreign investors and dealt a serious blow to the tourism industry.

The crisis worsened early Thursday as authorities shut down the Don Muang domestic airport, which had been receiving some diverted flights from Suvarnabhumi.

A top airport official said, authorities feared that protesters might harm passengers and aircraft, thousands of tourists are stranded at the two Bangkok airports.

He said authorities might use the U Ta Pao air force base, 140 kilometers (90 miles) southeast of Bangkok, and were alerting airports nationwide to be ready to receive more diverted flights.

The closure of the two airports left thousands of foreign tourists stranded, including Americans trying to get home for their Thanksgiving holiday Thursday.

The protests are being led by a loose coalition known as the People's Alliance for Democracy. It accuses Somchai of acting as the puppet for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a September 2006 military coup after being accused of corruption and abuse of power. Thaksin, who is Somchai's brother-in-law, is in exile, a fugitive from a conviction for violating a conflict of interest law.

On Wednesday, a district court ordered the alliance leaders and their supporters to immediately leave Suvarnabhumi International Airport, calling it "an infringement on other individuals who have freedom of movement."

However, the protesters are unlikely to heed the order -- a reflection of their boldness amid the government's unwillingness to use force for fear of causing bloodshed.

Still, Prime Minister Somchai, who returned from Peru on Wednesday but was forced to land in the northern city of Chiang Mai, is also not budging from his position.

Orissa House Adjourned after Pandemonium

Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was left red-faced on Wednesday as Bharatiya Janata Party legislators disrupted proceedings in the Assembly reiterate their demads for the immediate arrest of the killers of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Lakshmanananda Saraswati.

Coalition Dharma notwithstanding, BJP legislators, part of the ruling alliance, rushed to the well and raised slogans. They criticised the government for its failure to arrest those involved in the assassination.

The pandemonium continued despite repeated requests from speaker Kishore Mohanty and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Raghunath Mohanty.

With the chaos continuing to prevail, the speaker adjourned house proceedings twice, with the MLAs repeatedly filling in the well. He adjourned the proceedings till Thursday.

The ensuing melee also saw legislators of the opposition Congress also rushed to the well, demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister. Opposition leader and veteran Congressman J.B. Patnaik said the Chief Minister should step down as the BJP had lost faith in the government.

Cracks in the ruling BJD-BJP alliance were visible on Tuesday, when the BJP boycott the joint legislature party meeting called by Chief Minister Patnaik.

Leader of the BJP legislature party Biswabhushan Harichandan informing journalists said his party was not satisfied with the action taken by the police in the case pertaining to the killing of the VHP leader.

The party was also unhappy over the issue of conversion. Lakshmanananda Saraswati and four others were killed at an ashram in Kandhamal district on August 23. The incident had led to widespread anti-Christian violence in the State.

The Crime Branch of the State police is investigating into the murder, and three suspected Maoists have been arrested.

Veerappan’s Widow Held in K’taka

Karnataka Police on Wednesday arrested Muthulakshmi, the widow of slain forest brigand Veerappan, in connection with TADA cases registered against her, a top police official said. Veerappan the notorious sandalwood smuggler was gunned down by Tamil Nadu police in a 2004 encounter.

"Muthulakshmi wanted in Terrorist And Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) cases in 1992 and 1993 was arrested in the wee hours today," Additional Director General of Police (Law & Order) of Karnataka AR Infant was quoted as saying by PTI news agency.

Meanwhile, Muthulakshmi's father Aiyyanan (65) told media that his 43-year-old daughter was taken into custody by a team of Special Task Force (STF) personnel from Karnataka from her Ramnagar residence near Mettur dam, located in Tamil Nadu.

DSP (Mettur) said that the Karnataka police have informed the local police about her arrest. The police station at Karumalaikudal has been informed about her detention, Sivanandam told reporters at Mettur.

Sandalwood smuggler Veerappan was killed in an encounter with Tamil Nadu police in 2004.

Bloody Hell in Mumbai Continues….

Marine commandos have recovered 30 bodies from the Taj hotel and have said that around 200 people were held hostage at one of the halls of the hotel. Commandos told reporters that terrorists were well aware of the Taj's layout and they were carrying AK series rifle. They recovered 1200$ and Rs 6000 from the assailants.

Marine commandos also handed over a Mauritian national identity-card and a number of credit cards recovered from the militants inside the Taj hotel.

Earlier, a gunbattle between NSG commandos and a militant holed up inside the Taj hotel raged up.

An explosion was also heard at the ground floor of the old building of the hotel.

Earlier, Indian Army commander confirmed that at least one militant continues to battle Indian commandos in the Taj Hotel in Mumbai and may be holding two or more hostages.

"Almost all the guests in the hotel and the staff in the hotel have been evacuated," Lieutenant-General N. Thamburaj told reporters.

He told reporters that almost all guests and staff had been evacuated from the Taj and the operation would be wrapped up there in a few hours. "It is just a matter of few hours before "we wrap up things" says GoC, Southern Command.

The new building of Taj hotel has been totally flushed out and cleared and handed over to police, he said adding that one terrorist, possibly two, had moved into the adjacent old heritage building.

"We have heard the sound of a woman and a man, giving indications that they are being held hostage," Thamburaj said but added that almost all guests and staff in the hotel have been evacuated.

He conceded that the there were some casualties among the NSG commandos but would not disclose their numbers and whether they were fatal or otherwise saying that operational details would affect the "mental makeup" of terrorists.

Thamburaj said that operations had to be "deliberate and slow" to ensure the safety of the hostages, guests and hotel staff. The commandos had been told not to rush things under the "pressure of media or citizens".

He said some rooms in Taj are still bolted from inside and people inside are not responding, probably they are scared. "As soon as communication and room services are restored, we will inform them about the situation and ask them to come out".

(Agencies and TOI Inputs)