Protesters prompt Thailand to cancel Asian summit

Violence has prompted the cancellation of a key summit meeting meant to tackle economic issues in Southeast Asia.

Thailand's prime minister called off the two-day conference Saturday after anti-government protesters pushed past a cordon of police and stormed a media centrenextto the summit venue.

For the past week, anti-government protesters have been slowing traffic in Bangkok and calling on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to step down.

On Friday, they moved to the seaside resort of Pattaya and began gathering near the hotel where, until Sunday,delegates from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were to discuss trade with officials from South Korea, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand.

More than 1,000protesters took part in the second straight day of protests.Some smashed the glass doors of themedia centre and forced their way inside. They later declared victory and walked away from the building.

Several of the Asian leaders attending the summit were flown by helicopter from Pattaya to a nearby military airport, a government spokesman said.Abhisitdeclared a state of emergency in Pattaya for several hours while the leaders were flownfrom the area.

The red-shirted protesters are supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in a 2006 military coup for alleged corruption and abuse of power.

The protesters say Abhisit was not elected by the people and should step down so new elections can be held. Abhisit's government came to power in December through parliamentary defections the opposition says were engineered by the army.