Monks and protesters confront police officers as they try to break into the Parliament compound through the north gate yesterday.

Turmoil broke out in front of Parliament yesterday when some 2,000 Buddhist monks and protesters tried to break into the building's compound. They laid siege to the north gate of Parliament at about 2.45pm when officials refused to let some 100 monks inside to pray at the King Rama VII statue.

Tense negotiations went on for 20 minutes.

After officials insisted the monks and protesters would not be allowed to enter the compound, protesters yelled abuse and rocked the gate.

They then threatened to block all the gates around Parliament if they were denied entry. The confrontation lasted about 10 minutes and only ended after a leader of the protest, Gen Thongchai Keuasakul, chairman of the Network of Buddhist Organisations, asked the protesters to calm down and step away from the gate.

However, Thongchai said the protesters would keep on rallying "until their demand is met".

Some protesters threw water bottles into the compound.

The monks later retreated from the gate and sat in the middle of the road to pray.

Phra Wijit Yanasopano, one of the protesters, said he did not plan to use violence but that the protesters consisted of many groups of people.

It was uncertain if some people had hidden objectives. Some of the monks had become "too emotional", he said.

Thongchai said about 1,000 had signed their names to join a fast to pressure the government to make Buddhism the state religion on the new charter. However, Thongchai did not say when they would start their fast. Some 16 monks were on the eighth day of a hunger strike in front of Parliament yesterday.

Nerisa Nerykhiew

The Nation