Military seizes power in Thailand
Thailand’s military leaders staged a peaceful, late-night coup yesterday, overthrowing the controversial government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who had travelled to New York to speak at the United Nations.Army commander General Sondhi Boonyaratkalin sent tanks and armoured personnel carriers into positions key government buildings.
The commander, a critic of the Prime Minister with close ties to Thailand’s revered monarchy, position troops around the royal palace, government house, the UN compound and the royal plaza. After seizing control of television stations, the coup leaders declared a provisional authority loyal to the King and instituted martial law across the country.
“The armed forces commander and the national police commander have successfully taken over Bangkok and the surrounding area in order to maintain peace and order. There has been no struggle,” the new leaders said in a statement on national television.
Interesting. I don’t approve of military coups in general, but in some cases they are justified. I’ll admit that I don’t know enough about Thailand to say anything signifigant about this one right now.
