Thai Protesters Storm Hospital

Pro-establishment Thais urged the government to declare martial law and launch a full-on assault on the Red Shirts after protesters stormed a Bangkok hospital today. A group of Red Shirts, looking for soldiers they believed were stationed inside, forced their way into a hospital near their protest camp. Patients had to be sent to other hospitals and everything except emergency surgery was suspended for hours, AP reports.

A Red Shirt leader apologized for the action. "Storming the hospital was "inappropriate and unreasonable," he said, promising it would not happen again. "The situation got out of control. It is not our policy to obstruct hospital operations." Thailand's foreign minister assured the international community that the nation has its affairs under control, and that there is no need for intervention. He warned that the Thai government will not tolerate foreign diplomats meeting with Red Shirt leaders. (More Thailand stories.)