The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Bangkok

Anti-government protesters abandoned their siege of Thailand's Foreign Ministry building on Tuesday, easing a standoff that threatened to reignite a long-running political crisis.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his Cabinet then left the building, where he had earlier given a key policy address in which he vowed to jump-start Thailand's economy, heal its political divisions and repair its tattered image.

"The government has come into office at a time of conflict. This conflict has become the weakness of the country," he told lawmakers that included only his coalition members. Opposition members boycotted the session.

"Meanwhile, the global economic crisis has turned the situation from bad to worse," he continued. "Our government's priorities are reviving the ailing economy and solving the conflicts between groups in Thai society."