Thai officials Saturday displayed the large cache of weapons seized from a stronghold of anti-government protesters in the heart of Bangkok that the military cleared after a violent two-month standoff and 85 deaths, AP reoprted. Police also said eight Red Shirt leaders have now been separated in detention, their phones have been seized and and they are now under armed guard, after police were criticized as treating the protest leaders with leniency. The weapons _ including rifles, bullets, grenades and the components of bombs _ were put on display to defend the government's claim that the troops faced a serious threat and exercised appropriate force when they moved in to clear the main protest area. At least 15 people died in the final offensive Wednesday and more than 100 were wounded. The Thai capital was gripped with its worst political violence in decades during the so-called Red Shirt occupation of downtown Bangkok, culminating in the military crackdown that sparked a rampage by supporters who launched grenade attacks and set fire to landmark buildings, including the country's stock exchange and biggest shopping mall. -- SPA
