Picture - Protesters blow whistles at Chaturon

Several protesters yesterday blew whistles loudly at Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang in a gesture of anti-government defiance
Anti-government demonstrators fill Ratchadamnoen Avenue in Bangkok yesterday after the Democrat Party urged people to stage a three-day civil disobedience campaign running until tomorrow. THANARAK KHOONTON
The incident happened as Mr Chaturon stepped into a car near the Royal Princess Hotel in the Larn Luang area of Bangkok.
Mr Chaturon is the first cabinet member to face the anti-government protesters' whistles.

Suthep Thaugsuban, former Democrat Party MP and leader of the Democracy Monument rally, has urged protesters to blow their whistles at government officials and politicians to show their disapproval of the government.
It is one way for people to express disobedience against the government, Mr Suthep said.
Mr Chaturon said he recognised some of the whistle blowers as former MPs he had known for a long time.
He said he believed the whistle blowing appeared to have been staged as it was being recorded.
Some of the protesters attending the Tuesday night rally at the Democracy Monument told the Bangkok Post their employers have allowed them to join the work stoppage until tomorrow, as suggested by Mr Suthep, as
part of the civil disobedience campaign.
Penchome Nonghin, 24, an office worker in Bangkok said her supervisor agreed with calls for civil disobedience.
"My boss said I can take leave of absence as long as it doesn't affect my work," she said.
Another office employee, Voravong Ponchian, 42, said he could participate in the rally without losing his annual leave days. Ten people, or about a third of his fellow workers, had turned up at the protest.
"I think we can express our opinions as long as what we do is non-violent," the first-time street protester said.
However, Chamroen Rodphai, 31, a convenience store worker, said he could not take time off work to be part of the rally because he receives a daily wage, not a monthly salary.
A government official attached to the Office of the Auditor-General of Thailand yesterday wrote to his supervisor to say he wants to withhold paying tax, which is another of Mr Suthep's recommended acts of government defiance.
Monthian Maneethes told the www.isranews.org news website that he sent the letter to the director of Procurement and Investigative Audit Office.
In Surat Thani, three schools have closed until tomorrow to protest against the government. They are Don Sak Phadungwit School in Don Sak district, Ban Don Kliang School in Muang district and Banna School in Ban Na Doem.
Meanwhile, labour and state enterprise workers largely reported to work as usual yesterday, the first of the three-day work stoppage proposed by Mr Suthep.
Thai Labour Solidarity Committee chairman Chalee Loysoong said while the labour sector agreed with the civil disobedience campaign, walking off the job is impossible unless they want to face punishment.
"There are company regulations and the labour law governing absenteeism," he said.
Mr Chalee said that unless a labour dispute is involved, workers cannot leave work en masse.
He said the workers are free to join the protest after office hours though.
--bangkokpost