Police are out in force in the Thai capital, where anti-government protesters are marking the third anniversary of a coup they say was a major setback for the country’s democratic system.
Many of the protesters gathering on Saturday are supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra, the prime minister ousted by the bloodless September 19, 2006, takeover after being accused of abuse of power and disrespect to the country’s constitutional monarch.
Mr. Thaksin, who became prime minister in 2001, won two major election victories due to his popularity among the country’s rural majority, for whom he instituted generous social welfare programmes. The protesters seek to have current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva step down, claiming he came to power undemocratically.
