Rival Thai protests raise fears of return to violence
Rival protest groups rallied in and around the Thai capital yesterday, raising the political temperature amid almost daily anti-government student protests nationwide and stirring fears of a return to street violence. Thailand was roiled for more than a decade by sporadic street clashes between conservatives and those loyal to former populist prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. There have been two military coups in the past 15 years, the last led by current Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha Bangkok in 2014. Dozens of supporters rallied in front of Parliament House on Monday in support of Prayuth's government. Thousands later joined an anti-government demonstration at Thammasat University on the outskirts of Bangkok, the largest such protest by students, challenging the government and conservative royalist establishment.
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