Thais protest military rule

Several thousand opponents of Thailand's military-installed government marched through Bangkok's streets Saturday, staging their most defiant protest yet against the regime that came to power in last year's coup.

About 13,000 protesters gathered Saturday evening at Sanam Luang, an open field traditionally used for political protests, said Metropolitan Police Col. Manit Wongsomboon. Part of the crowd then marched several miles to the military's headquarters.

No violence was reported.

Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd, spokesman for the military council that helps run the country, said about 3,000 protesters gathered in front of the army headquarters late Saturday.

"They were using very foul language on the stage, but the authorities are using utmost patience to deal with their provocations," Sansern said.

Most in the crowd appeared to be supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in a bloodless Sept. 19 coup.

The leaders of Saturday's protest were former executives of Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party. But several groups, including former opponents of Thaksin's sometimes autocratic rule, have also been mobilizing against the military and the interim government it installed.

Thaksin was ousted by the army after facing months of street demonstrations calling for him to step down because of alleged corruption and abuse of power. He was abroad at the time of the coup, and has not returned to Thailand.

The coup makers have promised fresh elections by the end of the year after a new constitution is enacted.

But many Thais have become disenchanted with the military-appointed interim government, which has failed to prove corruption allegations against Thaksin, and has had a run of embarrassing policy flops.

Protest leaders said they want a lifting of martial law, which was imposed during the coup and still in effect for much of the country. They also demand a reinstatement without revisions of the 1997 constitution, which was scrapped by the coup makers.