Thai protesters vow to spill their own blood

As many as 100,000 "Red Shirt" protesters converged Sunday on Bangkok to demand that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva agree to dissolve parliament by midday Monday. Abhisit refused and blanketed the capital in security, but said his government was open to listening to what else the protesters have to say.

Frustrated, the protest leaders said they would collect "1 million cubic centimeters" of protesters' blood, or about 264 gallons (1,000 liters), to spill at Government House in the Thai capital by Tuesday evening - a tactic slammed by the Red Cross as wasteful and potentially unhygienic.

Earlier Monday, thousands of protesters departed from their encampment in downtown Bangkok to besiege an army base on the edge of the capital where Abhisit has partly been based during the protests. He also is believed to have departed the base several times by helicopter.

The protesters beseeched soldiers from outside the gates of the 11th Infantry Regiment, but withdrew after their noon deadline passed without even seeing the prime minister. Soldiers played songs composed by the Thai king in a bid to keep things calm.

After withdrawing from the 11th Infantry base, protest organizers announced they were asking each demonstrator to donate between two and 20 teaspoons - 10 to 100 cubic centimeters - of blood. Their initial goal would be to collect 1,000 liters (264 gallons), which would require donations from between 10,000 and 100,000 people - roughly the protest crowd's peak size; Kazinform cites China Daily. See www.chinadaily.com.cn for full version.