BANGKOK – For a fortnight before Thailand’s rebellion was put down, the brutal axiom of Thai politics that the countryside elects governments but Bangkok gets to overthrow them was put to its litmus test. Tens of thousands of red-shirt protesters under the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) espousing upcountry messages and grievances against what they saw as systemic injustices and double standards had encircled Government House to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and members of the King’s Privy Council who were deemed to have violated the constitution by masterminding the military coup in September 2006 and blatantly taking sides since.