Thousands Rally in Bangkok over Thaksin's Remarks on Monarchy

BANGKOK, Nov. 15 (Kyodo) - Thousands of people on Sunday attended a rally here to protest recent remarks by fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra concerning the monarchy.

The rally was organized by the People's Alliance for Democracy, loose coalition of groups opposed to Thaksin and his political allies, and the New Politics Party.

The PAD protesters wearing yellow and pink shirts and waving national flags gathered at a large field on Sunday under the theme of expressing people's power to protect "Nation, Religion and Monarchy."

Thaksin recently gave an interview to Britain's Times newspaper in which he said that Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn might not be as popular as King Bhumibol Adulyadej, but he will have fewer problems because "the palace circle will be smaller."

Thaksin's interview was criticized by the Thai government and civil groups including PAD. However, Thaksin has rejected the accusations, saying the Times distorted his interview and said he has always respected and admired the monarchy.

Besides showing support for the monarchy, the protest was also aimed at voicing anger over Thaksin's appointment as an economic adviser by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

More than 1,500 police were deployed at the rally.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday said bilateral relations with Cambodia had been smooth until Hun Sen appointed Thaksin as an economic adviser. Abhisit also urged Thais to be united in during the current "difficult" time.

Thaksin served as Thailand's prime minister from 2001 until he was toppled by a coup in 2006 and fled into exile. He was sentenced in absentia to two years imprisonment for breaking a conflict of interest law while he was in power.

He was appointed as a personal adviser to Hun Sen and an economic adviser to the Cambodian government on Oct. 27, a move that Abhisit's government called an insult to the Thai judicial system.

Hun Sen's government has refused to extradite Thaksin on grounds that an extradition treaty in effect between the two countries since 1998 does not apply to cases in which the alleged offense is of a political nature.

Thaksin, who visited Cambodia last week, left the country on Saturday for Dubai.