Thai protesters mark anniversary of deaths

About 40,000 red-shirted, anti-government protesters gathered yesterday in Bangkok to mark the first anniversary of clashes with the military in which 26 people were killed. No one has been declared responsible for the unrest which saw soldiers fight thousands of protesters in Thailand's worst political violence in 18 years.

The supporters of the former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire ousted in a 2006 coup and convicted of corruption, said they would continue the protests until the government took responsibility for the violence.