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Bangkok braced for demonstration Protests renewed in Thai capital
(about 1 hour later)
Thousands of demonstrators are gathering in Bangkok to mark the third anniversary of the coup which ousted then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.Thousands of demonstrators are gathering in Bangkok to mark the third anniversary of the coup which ousted then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
His supporters, who as a group wear the colour red, are mostly from the poor north and north-east of Thailand. His supporters, mostly from rural parts of Thailand, are demanding a stronger voice in the way the country is run.
They are demanding a stronger voice in the way the country is run. Their last protest, in April, ended in violent clashes in the Thai capital.
Their last protest, in April, ended in clashes. Security is tight in the Thai capital, with large numbers of police and military personnel deployed. A separate group of protesters plan to hold a protest at a temple on the Cambodian border that both countries claim, sparking fears of violence.
Colour politics Security forces set up roadblocks to try to prevent the group entering the 11th century site of Preah Vihear, which has been the scene of deadly cross-border shootings in recent months.
Mr Thaksin is now in self-imposed exile after being convicted on conflict of interest charges. Election call
Tens of thousands of his supporters are expected to join the rally, in the centre of the city. In Bangkok, thousands of troops and police were deployed ahead of the protest by Mr Thaksin's red-shirted supporters.
Their demonstration is about more than just marking the anniversary of the bloodless coup that forced him from office. Mr Thaksin himself is in overseas exile, after being convicted in absentia of corruption.
But he is taking advantage of deep divisions in Thai society between the powerful upper and middle class elite, and the poor, more rural Thais originally from the north and the north-east who make up the core of the red shirt movement and his support base. class="" href="/2/hi/asia-pacific/8004306.stm">Profile: Reds and yellows class="" href="/2/hi/asia-pacific/7352333.stm">Tranquil temple at centre of a storm
The last time they took to the streets in large numbers was in April when the protests turned violent - buses were burned, streets blocked and the army sent in to end the demonstration. He won elections in 2001 and 2005, swept to office by a wave of support from rural voters whose concerns he worked to address. After he was ousted, his allies won the first post-coup elections in 2007.
The leaders of the red shirt movement - the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship - say they will ensure the protest does not turn violent. But protests - including a blockade of Bangkok's two international airports - by those who opposed him, the yellow-shirted People's Alliance for Democracy, forced that government from office, allowing the party they backed to form a coalition.
But current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is taking no chances and has given the military special powers under an Internal Security Act. The red camp want fresh elections and a pardon for Mr Thaksin. Their last rally, in April, ended in violence, with several buses burned and dozens of people injured.
In the complex colour-orientated world of Thai mass-movement politics, the rival People's Alliance for Democracy - identified by their yellow shirts and who were responsible for closing down Bangkok's airports last year - are also planning a demonstration at the same time. Temple tensions
They will gather on the border with Cambodia near a controversial temple complex, the ownership of which has been a long-running source of tension between the two countries. The yellow camp, meanwhile, say they want to demonstrate at Preah Vihear, the temple complex at the heart of a border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.
The PAD says the government must eject Cambodian troops from what they perceive as Thai territory.
An international court awarded the temple area to Cambodia in 1962, but disputes over land surrounding it have never been resolved.
Both countries deployed troops there after tensions escalated last year, and there have been several deadly exchanges of fire.
Thai security personnel and local villagers have set up roadblocks to prevent the demonstrators gaining access to the area.