A Thai police officer has been killed and scores of people wounded in clashes between security forces and opposition protesters in the capital, Bangkok, as the government rejected a call from the election commission to postpone February polls.
At least 119 people were injured on Thursday during running battles between anti-government protesters, calling for the government to resign and postpone the polls, and the police, according to the emergency services.
"He was shot in his chest and brought to hospital by helicopter," Jongjet Aoajenpong, director of the Police General Hospital, said of the slain police officer.
"A team of doctors tried to resuscitate him for more than half an hour."
Violence broke out as demonstrators tried to force their way into a sports stadium in the Thai capital, where representatives of about 30 political parties were gathered to register for parliamentary elections.
Scores of demonstrators, some armed with sling shots, threw rocks and attempted to break through police lines prompting the police to use rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons.
Inside the stadium the lot-drawing process was apparently unaffected by the unrest outside the gates.
However, some election officials later left the stadium by helicopter to avoid the unrest and because protesters were blocking the exits.
The election commission said in a statement that it was urging the government to consider "postponing the elections", citing the security situation.
"We cannot organise free and fair elections under the constitution in the current circumstances," commission member Prawit Rattanapien said at a news conference.
Government officials later rejected the call to postpone the polls.
"The February 2 election will go ahead," said Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana in a televised address. "There is no law allowing the government to delay the election."
Credit to Al Jazeera
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