泰国总理与红衫运动代表展开磋商

Face-to-face talks between the Thai PM and protesters who want his resignation and new elections have been adjourned¹, with a new round due on Monday.

泰国总理与要求其下台并重新选举的红衫运动反对者代表之间新一轮的面对面会谈已被推迟至星期一。

A spokesman for Abhisit Vejjajiva said he had accepted the offer of talks in an effort to "restore peace and minimise the chance of violence".

His meeting with the protest leaders was broadcast live on Thai TV.

Correspondents say the talks are a sign of compromise（妥协，折衷） after two weeks of demonstrations² in the capital, Bangkok.

During the protests, the prime minister consistently（一贯地，一致地） said he would not bow to any ultimatums³（最后通牒） .

Earlier, four soldiers were injured after grenades（手榴弹） were thrown at a heavily guarded army barracks（兵营，营房） on the outskirts⁴（市郊，郊区） of the city, which Mr Abhisit has been using as a base.

It is not known who carried out the attack, but the Red-Shirts - a loose coalition⁵ of left-wing activists⁶ and supporters of exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra - had been due to march there on Sunday.

Neutral venue⁷

Mr Abhisit went on television on Sunday morning to say he was open to negotiations⁹, but insisted he would "not there be there to talk" if the protesters proceeded to march on the barracks.

"It will not be possible under this kind of tense circumstance to hold negotiations," he said. "I still insist that I am open to negotiation⁸ as long as there are no threats, hostility¹⁰ or pressure."

Red-Shirt leader Nattawut Saikua subsequently（随后，后来） delayed the rally, saying he wanted to give the government time to consider an offer of negotiations between small delegations¹².

The meeting was held at an academic research institute in Bangkok, deemed to be a neutral（中立的） venue.

Sitting across a conference table from each other, the two teams of three representatives shook hands and then listened politely while the others set out their positions.

Veera Muksikapong, a member of the Red-Shirt delegation¹¹, stated that the movement respected Mr Abhisit as an individual, but then repeated their demand for fresh elections.

"Our request is simple and direct: dissolve parliament for the people to decide again," he told the prime minister.

Mr Abhisit, flanked（守侧面） by two trusted aides, questioned whether calling elections would ease tensions or exacerbate¹³（使恶化，使加剧） them.

"I have to make a decision based on a consensus¹⁴（一致，舆论） from the entire country, not just the Red-Shirts," he said. "We have to think: will dissolution（解散，解除） really solve the problem?"