Thai PM declares state of emergency in Bangkok

Anti-government protestors leave the vunue of summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders with dialogue partners, in Pattaya, Thailand, April 11, 2009. The ASEAN related summits scheduled on April 10-12 have been canceled because of security reason, the Thai government announced here Saturday. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)

A summit staff tries to stop red-shirted supporters of ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from entering one of the rooms inside a venue of the 14th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Pattaya April 11, 2009.(Reuters Photo)

Security officials calm the anti-government "red-shirted" protestors at the ASEAN related summits venue in Pattaya, Thailand, April 11, 2009. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)

Supporters of ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra shake hands with soldiers blocking the road near the venue of the 14th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Pattaya April 11, 2009. (Reuters Photo)

Soldiers guard beside barricades at the front gate of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort Hotel, the venue of the 14th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, in Pattaya, Thailand, April 11, 2009. A scheduled 12th ASEAN-China Summit was postponed on Saturday due to anti-government "red shirt" blocked all main roads in Pattaya, Thailand's acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayakorn said. (Xinhua Photo)

BANGKOK, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday declared a state of emergency in Bangkok and some districts in five nearby provinces, citing increasing danger of violence by anti-government protesters in the capital.

Abhisit explained on TV that the emergency decree was not imposed earlier in Bangkok because the government wanted to keep the normal order in the capital, but the situation became tense and the government has to impose the stated of emergency in order to restore normality.

He also asked Deputy Prime Minister in charge of security matters Suthep Thaugsuban to be responsible for enforcing of the state of emergency measures.

Besides Bangkok, the emergency decree also includes some districts in five provinces around Bangkok -- Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom and Ayutthaya.

He took the acts of the anti-government demonstrators, known asred-shirted people, to obstruct the ASEAN and Related Summits as example of the tension incited by the protesters.

The summits, which involved 10 ASEAN countries and its six dialogue partners -- China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, was scheduled for April 10-12 in the central beach resort city Patttya.

The Thai government was forced to call off the meeting and asked the foreign leaders to leave Pattaya without holding formal talks on Saturday afternoon after over 1,000 red-shirted protesters besieged and broke into the meeting venue, demanding the Abhisit government to resign.