Thai anti-govt protests continue into the night

Anti-government protesters gathered in large numbers in Thailand's capital on Sunday for a rally that suggested their movement's strength may extend beyond the college campuses where it had blossomed.

Thousands of people assembled at Bangkok's Democracy Monument, a traditional venue for political activities, where they heard speeches, watched skits and listened to music.

Hundreds of police were also present.

There was no reliable estimate of the crowd size, though it appeared to be one of the biggest demonstrations in several years.

The rally ended after almost eight hours with about two dozen students who are facing arrest joining together on stage to repeat their demands and renew their commitment to the cause of democracy.

They issued a call for the government to take action by next month or face another major protest rally.

The student-led movement had already declared three core demands: holding new elections, amending the constitution and ending the intimidation of critics of the government.

At the finale of Sunday's rally, they spelled out three more points, which were also written on banners behind them: no coup d'etat, no national unity government and upholding Thailand as a democracy with the king as head of state under the constitution.

The reference to a national unity government was apparently a warning to all political parties against making a backroom deal instead of holding elections, and the reference to the king seemed to be meant as reassurance that they did not want to abolish the monarchy.

Protest leaders triggered controversy last week when they expanded their original agenda, publicly criticising Thailand's constitutional monarchy and issuing a 10-point manifesto calling for its reform.

Their action was virtually unprecedented, as the monarchy is considered sacrosanct in Thailand, and any criticism is normally kept private.

A lese majeste law calls for a prison sentence of three to 15 years for anyone found guilty of defaming the royal institution.

The sensitivity of the issue was illustrated by the failure of most mainstream Thai media to report in any detail on the students' manifesto about the monarchy.

The issue was barely and only obliquely touched upon at Sunday's rally.

The activists who took the stage at the rally's finale afterward walked to a nearby police station to answer to arrest warrants they believed were out for them, but in chaotic scenes quickly left, saying the police procedure was faulty.

They were still waiting nearby after midnight as their lawyers discussed their legal standing with police.