The Wire

Fears of a crackdown are mounting in Thailand following the worst political violence the country has seen in nearly twenty years. Twenty-one people were killed and close to 900 wounded on Saturday night after troops and Red Shirt protestors clashed in the heart of Bangkok. It’s the most violent episode of a four year battle between supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the traditional establishment composed of the military, monarchy and urban elite. The Red Shirts are calling on the incumbent Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, to dissolve parliament and leave the country immediately.