Thai protesters test rally ban

BANGKOK (AP) - Protesters dared the military to stop them as they headed Wednesday to rally in a Bangkok suburb, raising concerns of more clashes after government warnings that patience was running out in a seven-week standoff that has paralyzed parts of the capital.

The Red Shirt protesters, who are demanding the dissolution of Parliament, sent hundreds of supporters in pickup trucks and on motorbikes to drum up support at an outdoor market north of the capital. The government has repeatedly said it will not tolerate protests beyond the commercial shopping zone where the Red Shirts have been entrenched for weeks.

"We are going to send (protesters) out of the rally site," a Red Shirt leader, Nattawut Saikua, said. "If the military thinks it is necessary to use force to block us, it's all right." He added: "We are not afraid."

On Tuesday, protesters forced a four-hour shutdown of Bangkok's busy elevated train system during the morning rush hour. It caused commuter chaos and rattled Thais after bloody grenade attacks last week at a Skytrain station left one dead and more than 80 wounded.

At least 26 people have been killed and nearly 1,000 wounded since protesters known as the Red Shirts began occupying parts of Bangkok in mid-March, closing down five-star hotels and shopping malls and devastating the country's vital tourism industry.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has repeatedly said he hopes to resolve the conflict peacefully but has yet to outline a clear plan on how to end the crisis after calling off negotiations with the protesters, who consider the government illegitimate and want Parliament disbanded.

"We recognize that as every day passes by, the people of Thailand suffer, the country suffers, but we want to make sure that there is rule of law," Abhisit told CNN. "We will try to enforce the law with minimum losses and we will try to find a political resolution, but it takes time, patience and cooperation."

His government has been criticized for excessive leniency and standing aside as protesters set up their base in the heart of Bangkok. The Red Shirts have fortified the stronghold, erecting barricades of tires, bamboo sticks and fencing along the streets in an area that spans more than 1 square mile (3 square kilometers).

The area, which already reeks of garbage and urine, could become far filthier after Bangkok's deputy governor, Pornthep Techapaiboon, on Tuesday ordered a halt to trash collection there until the Red Shirts - who briefly blocked an intersection with stolen garbage trucks - promise to stop interfering with sanitation workers.

Red Shirts have set up barricades on roads leading to the capital in recent days to prevent police reinforcements from being sent to assist in a possible crackdown.

The government has warned that protesters would not be allowed to move outside their current rally zone but on Wednesday appeared to ease the ban.

"Whatever movement or gathering is peaceful will be allowed," government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said. "But if they block the road, that means they are violating the rights of others. Officers can arrest them immediately."

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban warned Tuesday that security forces would "intensify operations," but did not elaborate or say whether authorities would try to evict protesters from the streets, which would almost certainly lead to more bloodshed.

"We have been patient for almost two months," he told reporters. "If there was a way we could reason with them, we would try. However, we have seen that these are people we cannot talk with."

The government also has accused the protesters of trying to undermine the monarchy and the nation's revered king. Such a charge, which protest leaders strongly deny, could weaken their support.

On Monday evening, the government distributed an elaborate diagram outlining what was described as a network of opposition politicians, academics and media involved in an anti-monarchy movement.

Suthep said those listed would be investigated and, if found to have violated the law, arrested, the newspaper Matichon reported.

Thailand's lese majeste law mandates a jail term of up to 15 years for anyone who "defames, insults, or threatens" the royal family.

The Red Shirts consist largely of poor, rural supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and pro-democracy activists who opposed the military coup that ousted him in 2006 on corruption allegations. The group believes that Abhisit's government - backed by the urban elite - is illegitimate, having been helped into power by the country's powerful military.

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Associated Press writers Ravi Nessman and Jocelyn Gecker contributed to this report.