WASHINGTON (AP) The U.S. is voicing concern about rising political tension in Thailand where opposition demonstrators seeking to unseat the government occupied parts of the foreign and finance ministries.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a Monday statement that violence and seizure of public or private property "are not acceptable means of resolving political differences."
She urged all sides to refrain from violence and exercise restraint, and to resolve differences through peaceful dialogue in ways that strengthen democracy and rule of law.
The statement was issued shortly after Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra invoked an emergency security law in large parts of Bangkok and surrounding areas to cope with the escalating protests against her government.
Thailand has been roiled by political divisions in recent years, culminating in bloody violence in 2010.
