BANGKOK: Supporters of Thailand’s main opposition party rallied in Bangkok on Friday in the first big political gathering since a deadly military crackdown on anti-government protesters two months ago. At least 4,000 massed at a theme park ahead of a pivotal Bangkok by-election in a defiant show of support for a detained “red shirt†protest leader representing the Puea Thai Party, the movement’s powerful parliamentary arm. Supporters dressed in red braved the rain to rally in spite of a state of emergency in place across a quarter of the country since fierce fighting, arson and deadly riots in Maythat marked the worst political violence in Thailand’s modern history. The gathering was the latest sign of rebellion by “red shirt†supporters who have been driven underground by a draconian emergency decree that has allowed swathes of arrests without charge, bans on public gatherings and broad media censorship. Illegal demonstrations by “red shirts†have taken place at the upscale Rachaprasong intersection they had occupied in downtown Bangkok to draw attention to the 90 people who died and 2,000 who were wounded during the clashes between soldiers and protesters in April and May. The government allowed the campaign rally to take place to [...]