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Thailand

Thai election under way as opposition protests

Thailand’s election battle was well under way on Thursday as thousands of opposition Red Shirts mourned the protesters killed in a post-election military crackdown one year ago.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva ahead of elections in July
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva ahead of elections in July Reuters/Kerek Wongsa
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The vote, to be held on 3 July, looks to be a close contest between incumbent Democrat Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Yingluck Shinawatra of themain opposition party Puea Thai.

Police estimated up to 15,000 Red Shirts, who are broadly supportive of Yingluck, gathered in Bangkok to remember the more than 90 people who were killed in clashes last year in the capital.

Relatives of those killed say they are waiting for answers as to who was responsible.

The rally is the latest in a series of peaceful protests that have taken place in recent months in the country.

Abhisit, who was born in the UK and attended Oxford University, says he hopes the July election will heal a country still divided after the violent clashes last year. His support base is in Bangkok, the south of the country and the middle class.

Yingluck is the youngest sister of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thaksin was overthrown in a military coup in 2006 and lives abroad after being found guilty in absentia of corruption charges. Thaksin is very popular amongst Thailand’s rural and urban working-class populations as he provided funding for health care and education which benefited them. He is widely seen as the de facto leader of the Puea Thai party despite not living in the country.

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