Thousands rally on 80th anniversary

Bangkok: Thousands of supporters of Thailand’s ruling party rallied Sunday to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of absolute monarchy and to warn the military to stay out of politics.

The rally in Bangkok was called to demonstrate opposition to the military coup of 2006 and the army’s role in crushing a protest against the previous government in 2010.

“The army is keeping an eye [on the demonstration],” one activist said. “But we are keeping it low-key because we don’t want to anger the military establishment.”

About 100 buses had arrived at the rally site by early afternoon, bringing in supporters from the provinces.

Most of them were dressed in red, a colour that has come to symbolise opposition to the 2006 coup that overthrew then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The fugitive former premier lives in the Gulf to avoid a two-year prison term for a conviction of abuse of power during his tenure.

Yingluck Shinawatra was elected prime minister last year but efforts to bring her elder brother home, absolve him of his crimes and return about $1 billion in confiscated property to him have been blocked by the judiciary and by fears of another coup.

Police Major General Wanlop Prathummuang said he expected about 50,000 red-shirt demonstrators with about 600 police deployed to keep order.

Armed forces commander General Prayuth Chan-ocha has insisted there will be no coup on his watch, but said he was ready to follow government orders if violence occurs.

More than 90 people were killed and some 2,000 others injured when soldiers broke up rallies by pro-Thaksin demonstrators in Bangkok and other cities in April and May of 2010.

Thailand’s absolute monarchy was overthrown by a military coup on June 24, 1932, and replaced by a constitutional monarchy.

Sixteen more coups have occurred since then.