Hundreds rally against coup, defy army's warning against protests

(25 May 2014) Hundreds of protesters clashed with army officers in central Bangkok on Sunday, after they had gathered in a rally aimed at defying the junta's warning against anti-coup demonstrations. Earlier Sunday, Thailand's top general Prayuth Chan-ocha, who staged last week's coup, told people to avoid rallies and gatherings of more than five people, arguing that normal democratic principles cannot be applied at this time. About 500 angry protesters confronted troops who blocked access to the city's train transit system in an attempt to prevent a third day of protests. "We have to continue protesting to show our opposition to the coup," said Jirawat Jiamboon, one of the protesters. "We don't have leaders. We are against the coup and we come because we want to," he added. Soldiers blocked off elevated walkways linking the upscale malls. Trains stops to the area were suspended. At one point a group of soldiers was chased away by the crowd near a shopping district. The Army's Spokesperson Winthai Suvaree told journalists that unlike in other countries, democracy in Thailand "has resulted in losses." More protests were expected to take place later in the day. Small protests have persisted since the army seized power on Thursday after months of conflict between the elected government and a fierce opposition protest movement, and the junta has been pleading for patience. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...