By Stephen White 17/05/2010
Protesters in Thailand were last night fearing an army assault after they were told to let women and the elderly leave their camp.
The Red Cross has been asked to help people out of the area this afternoon after clashes during the past three days have left at least 31 dead.
One of the anti-government protesters' leaders, Jatuporn Prompan, said the situation was "almost full civil war". Britain has shut its embassy and warned tourists away from the capital.
Thai authorities have declared a state of emergency in up to 20 provinces, mostly in the demonstrators' northern heartlands.
A suggestion of talks involving the United Nations has been ignored by the government.
Soldiers have taken up positions beside a road leading to the red-shirt camp and witnesses say they are firing live rounds.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has postponed the new school term in the city for a week and announced today and tomorrow will be public holidays.
The fighting flared on Thursday as the army moved to isolate a fortified protest camp.
Thousands of demonstrators remain behind barricades of rubber tyres, sandbags and stakes.
They say Mr Abhisit came to power undemocratically and want him to step down to make way for new elections. Mr Abhisit insisted the army would not back down in its operation to clear the protesters.
He said: "We cannot the country in a leave the country in a situation where people who don't obey the law are holding hostage the people of Bangkok, as well as the centre of the country.
"We can't allow a situation where people set up armed groups and overthrow the government because they don't agree with it."
Yesterday, black smoke drifted into the air over Bangkok in the early morning haze, but the streets were mostly quiet.
The red-shirt fighters have used homemade petrol bombs, fireworks, rocks and, in some cases, guns to attack troops positioned behind bunkers made from sandbags.
The soldiers have responded with rubber bullets and live ammo. The protesters are running out of food, water and supplies.
One of their leaders, Nattawut Saikua, said yesterday. "We are willing to negotiate immediately. What is urgent is to stop the deaths of people. Political demands can wait."
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