Thousands rally against military junta in Bangkok

BANGKOK - IGNORING warnings of a possible crackdown on growing anti-government protests, thousands of people poured into the streets of the Thai capital yesterday to rally against the military junta.

Police estimated the crowd at 2,000, making it one of the largest since the military-backed coup that ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra last September. Organisers put the figure at 3,000.

The rally went ahead despite the government's announcement on Thursday that it would hold elections in December to restore democracy.

'I am really against any government that resulted from an undemocratic system, because it is not right to take power by force,' said one 52-year-old protester, who asked only to be identified as Yod.

'If the junta tries to use their power to prevent people from coming to the protest, people will defy them.'

The peaceful rally came one day after army-installed Premier Surayud Chulanont laid out the most detailed plan yet for Thailand's transition back to democracy.

General Surayud added yesterday that a ban on the activities of political parties would be lifted in September after a referendum on a new constitution.

Parliamentary polls would follow in December.

Gen Surayud also rejected calls from the junta leader, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, to declare a state of emergency in Bangkok to crack down on small but growing anti-coup protests.

Gen Sonthi fears the rallies could snowball, much like last year's protests against then-premier Thaksin, which started off small but eventually grew to weekly mass demonstrations that precipitated the coup.

Friday's protest organiser Nattawut Saikuar, a Thaksin ally, praised Gen Surayud for standing up to the coup leaders who installed him.

'Even though the government is clearly trying to ease the pressure by setting election dates, there could still be a backlash because people will closely watch to see how the junta and government work to achieve that goal,' he said.

Indeed, some analysts also said Gen Surayad's moves seemed to have had the desired effect.

'Announcing a state of emergency could have drawn many normal but curious people out to see what sort of rallies they actually are,' said Sukhum Nualsakun, a political science professor at the Ramkamhaeng University in Bangkok.

'Announcing the election date makes people see the light of a solution for the current political uncertainty.'

Authorities in Bangkok closed a major park on Thursday in a bid to thwart the protest, but organisers simply moved the demonstration to a new location.

Shortly before the rally, national police chief Sereepisut Taemeeyaves had warned that authorities would not hesitate to break it up if it turned rowdy.

Chief among the concerns of the protesters is the new constitution being drafted by a panel hand-picked by the junta, which critics fear will merely cement the military's role in government.

Gen Sonthi and other generals have publicly called for a provision to allow an appointed prime minister, despite opposition from Gen Surayud.