The four officers acted in defiance of an order from caretaker Defence Minister Thamarak Isarangura not to pursue the matter.

The four are Lt-General Wisanu Prayoonporn, Rear Admiral Itthichai Sripan, Air Vice Marshal Surakij Chansen and Air Vice Marshal Prasith Thananaken.

Representing the group, Prasith brought the additional evidence to the attention of Privy Council president General Prem Tinsulanonda.

The evidence included the statement of Defence Ministry Inspector-General Montri Supaporn and opinions of academics citing legal grounds to oppose the planned rotations.

"We [the four petitioners] want to update Prem on the legal hurdles that may arise if the government goes ahead to seek royal approval for the list of military appointments," Prasith said.

Many academics argued that Thamarak could not rotate military officers during the lead-up to the new election, he said.

If the government deemed it an emergency for military assignments, then it was obliged to seek an approval from the Election Commission before seeking royal endorsement, he said, noting this was not possible now as the new EC was yet to be appointed.

He said Montri had argued with Thamarak to halt the rotations.

In his statement at a Defence Council last month, Montri told Thamarak to suspend the military reshuffle pending the review of the selection process plagued by political meddling, he said.

The four officers petitioned Prem on Wednesday to intervene and stop what they said was overt political pressure to rig the military line-up.

Their move coincided with speculation that caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was trying to reward key positions, seen as vital to the control of the seat of government, to officers from Pre-Cadet Class 10.

Thamarak on Thursday ordered a disciplinary review against the four officers.