Pipeline protesters threaten police

Pipeline protesters threaten police

BANGKOK (AFP): Protesters in southern Thailand demonstrating against a controversial Thai-Malaysian gas pipeline are threatening to burn down a police station if authorities do not investigate claims of harassment, local media reported on Monday.

Angry opponents of the gas pipeline "threatened to burn down Chana Police station" in the southern district of Songkhla, if police do not look into claims that gunmen fired shots at the demonstrators while they were protesting over the weekend, the Bangkok Post reported.

The protesters were close to setting the station on fire on Sunday before senior police officers convinced them to desist, the Post said.

The protesters have charged that the gunmen were working for the Petroleum Authority of Thailand, which is backing the pipeline project.