Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has appeared on national TV to reject a demand from demonstrators that he quit by midday and call elections.

泰国总理阿披实·维乍集瓦在国家电视台上发表讲话，拒绝示威者提出的退位以及举行选举的要求。

PM Abhisit has been holed up at military barracks all weekend

Anti-government protesters in Thailand have gathered outside an army barracks（兵营，营房） where Mr Abhisit has been holed up（躲藏） .

The rally（集会） , led by supporters of ousted¹ ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra, is one of the largest in recent years.

Some 50,000 soldiers and police have been deployed²（部署，配置） in Bangkok, although the protests have been peaceful so far.

Thousands of demonstrators have gathered outside the headquarters of the 11th Infantry³ Battalion⁴ barracks in the north of the Thai capital.

Call for calm

A couple of thousand extra soldiers have been sent there to reinforce（加强） security.

Flanked by ministers and coalition⁶（联合，结合） allies, Mr Abhisit said on national television, from the barracks: "The protesters have demanded that I dissolve（解散，溶解） the house before midday (0500 GMT) today, but the coalition parties agree the demand cannot be met."

"Elections must be held under common rules and genuine calm. We have to listen to other people's voices, not just the protesters," he said.

Mr Abhisit then left the army base by helicopter, saying he wanted to inspect the traffic.

Thai army spokesman Col Sunsern Kaewkumnerd said three helicopters were on standby at the barracks to whisk（挥动，搅拌） leaders away if needed.

"We will push out the protesters if they trespass⁷（侵入，打扰） into the base. The final step is that rubber bullets would be fired at them, but the army has no wish to disperse（分散，传播）the demonstration," he said.

Mr Abhisit is usually based at Government House, but this is now the scene of a huge red-shirt protest camp.

As the protesters marched on Bangkok over the weekend, the prime minister moved into the barracks as a precaution.

Monday morning's rush hour was less frantic⁸（狂乱的，疯狂的） than usual, with some commuters staying home to avoid any possible trouble.

About 100,000 of the demonstrators held rallies in Bangkok on Sunday.

Political speeches culminated⁹ in（达到顶点） a video address by Mr Thaksin, who told the crowd they were bringing democracy to Thailand.

Mr Thaksin is living in self-imposed exile in Dubai after receiving a two-year sentence in his absence for abuse of power; his supporters say that case was politically motivated.

The protesters say the present government was installed illegally after Mr Thaksin was ousted in a military coup⁵（军事政变） in 2006, and two subsequent（后来的，随后的） allied¹⁰ governments were deposed¹¹（免职，废黜） by court action.

The red-shirt protest leaders insist their movement is non-violent.

They say they are prepared to stay in the capital for five days, to pressure the government into calling new elections.

The military has been given extra powers to impose curfews（宵禁） and restrict numbers at gatherings¹² if necessary.

The last major protests, in April 2009, turned violent, with two deaths and dozens of people injured.