BEIJING, March. 7 -- Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has dismissed calls for his resignation Monday, heightening tensions after thousands of anti-government activists marched to his office and vowed to rally every day until he steps down.

    Thaksin has made the statement to a crowd of cheering supporters in the northeastern province where he has widespread support.

    "My resignation is not the right answer to the protest. If I resigned, it would mean that democracy is meaningless. This would create a new standard in which every prime minister would have to step down whenever a group of people protest." Thaksin said.

    The embattled leader left Bangkok on Sunday, ahead of the well-advertised protest, to campaign in rural areas for the forthcoming general election in April.

    As dawn broke Monday, hundreds of protestors remained encamped in a field in the old part of Bangkok and are expected to gather again after work hours to repeat their show of mass dissent.


    (Source: CRIENGLISH.com)