Thousands Join Thai Rally Against Military-Backed Government

Protesters attend ‘Run Against Dictatorship’ event on Sunday
Rival, smaller-scale gathering pledges support for premier

demonstrators gathered Sunday in a Bangkok park for an early-morning protest jog on Jan. 12.Photographer: Mladen Antonov/AFP via Getty Images

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By Randy Thanthong-Knight

January 11, 2020 at 11:25 PM UTC

Updated on

January 12, 2020 at 1:36 AM UTC

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Thousands of people joined a rally in Thailand to protest against the military-backed government and call for more political freedom, less than a year after a disputed general election.

The demonstrators gathered Sunday in a Bangkok park for an early-morning protest jog against the administration led by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha. Former army chief Prayuth seized power in a coup in 2014, headed a junta for five years and returned as premier after the March election.