Embattled Thai PM refuses to resign as protesters vow to besiege his office until he quits

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej planned to address the nation Sunday on its escalating political crisis after he refused to yield to anti-government protesters who have vowed to besiege his office until he resigns.

The demonstrators continued today to occupy the area around Government House, the seat of Thailand's government, after breaking through a police cordon Friday.

The crisis has escalated over the past three weeks as demonstrators took to the streets against his coalition government, which they claim is a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup.

"Our stance is clear, we will continue to protest and camp out here until this puppet government of Thaksin's is out of office," said Suriyasai Katasila, spokesman for the People's Alliance for Democracy movement, which has led the protests.

But deputy government spokesman Natawut Saikau told The Associated Press that Samak "will not bow to demands for him to resign."

"The demand is unreasonable," he said.

A no-confidence motion against the government, submitted by the opposition Democrat Party, will be debated in Parliament on Tuesday and Wednesday, said the body's president, Chai Chidchob.

But Suriyasai said the debate will not resolve the problem.

"The People's Alliance for Democracy believes that the government's decision to allow a no-confidence motion in Parliament is a political game to lessen tension. But the decision has come too late," Suriyasai said.

He said that even Samak's resignation would not be enough because the protesters want his People's Power Party, which they consider a reincarnation of Thaksin's disbanded earlier party, to be rooted out.

The alliance led mass demonstrations before the 2006 coup demanding Thaksin step down for alleged corruption and abuse of power. They now accuse Samak's government of interfering with corruption charges against the former prime minister and trying to change the constitution for its own self-interest.

Samak met with the armed forces chief Friday but did not disclose what was discussed, Natawut said. "He only said that the police are continuing to be in charge of handling the protest, and that it is not yet time for the soldiers to come out."

Rumors have swept Bangkok since the protests began that the country's powerful military would stage another coup, something which the top brass has repeatedly denied.