Seven people have been injured, one seriously, after gunmen opened fire on anti-government protesters in the Thai capital Bangkok.<br /><br />It has heightened fears of more violence when protesters try to “shutdown” the city on Monday in their long-running bid to overthrow Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.<br /><br />At a celebration to mark national Children’s Day on Saturday<br />Thailand’s army chief, Prayuth Chan-ocha, said he feared an escalation in violence next week and urged all sides not to fight. <br /><br />“We’re all Thais, we can think differently but we can’t kill each other. Please don’t use violence,” said Prayuth.<br /><br />The turmoil is the latest episode in an eight-year conflict that pits Bangkok’s middle class and royalist establishment against the mostly poorer, rural supporters of Yingluck and her brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was overthrown in a military coup in 2006.<br /><br />The protesters accuse the Shinawatra family of corruption and nepotism. Yingluck called a snap election for February 2, but this failed to placate protesters, who want her government to resign to make way for an unelected people’s council to oversee political reform.<br /><br />Many Thais believe the military will soon step in to break the political deadlock, especially if the protests turn violent, and rumours of an impending coup have intensified.<br /><br />The army has staged or attempted 18 coups in 81 years, but it has tried to remain neutral this time.<br /><br />The authorities say they will deploy more than 14,000 troops and police, including officers at the main airport, to maintain order in the streets.<br /><br />Protesters led by former opposition politician Suthep Thaugsuban aim to paralyse Bangkok starting Monday for between 15 and 20 days.
