Thailand’s army chief imposed martial law yesterday after months of deadly anti-government protests caused political paralysis, but insisted the intervention did not amount to yet another military coup.
Gun-toting troops fanned out after martial law was declared in a dawn broadcast, as General Prayuth Chau-ocha exploited centuries-old legislation that confers far-reaching powers on the armed forces to act in an emergency.
However, he left the caretaker civilian government in office and later invited the country’s warring political factions to sit down for talks, as the US, Japan and Southeast Asian nations urged Thailand to stay on a democratic track and resolve its differences peacefully.
Photo: EPA
Soldiers and military vehicles were seen in the heart of the capital’s retail and hotel district. Troops were also positioned at TV stations, where broadcasts were suspended under sweeping censorship orders, although regular Thais appeared largely unfazed.
The dismissal of former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra earlier this month in a court ruling has stoked tensions in the kingdom, which has endured years of political turmoil.
Red Shirt supporters of Yingluck and her brother, former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in a 2006 coup, have warned of the threat of civil war if power is handed to an unelected leader, as the opposition demands.
Thaksin, who lives abroad to avoid a jail term for corruption, said on Twitter that the imposition of martial law was “expected,” but must not “destroy” democracy.
New York-based Human Rights Watch branded the imposition of martial law a “de facto coup,” voicing alarm at the impact on freedom of expression.
The government officially remained in office and Prayuth presented himself as a mediator.
“We are in the process of inviting both sides to talk but at the minute the situation is still not normal... that’s why I have had to invoke martial law,” he told reporters. “The military will not tolerate any more loss of lives.”
Martial law allows the army to ban public gatherings, restrict people’s movements, conduct searches, impose curfews and detain suspects for up to seven days.
Thailand has been without a fully functioning government since December last year, disrupting government spending, spooking investors and deterring tourists.
The early-hours announcement on military-run television said martial law had been invoked “to restore peace and order for people from all sides” after nearly seven months of protests that have left 28 people dead and hundreds wounded.
“This is not a coup,” it said. “The public do not need to panic, but can still live their lives as normal.”
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
UKRAINE, NVIDIA: The US leader said the subject of Russia’s war had come up ‘very strongly,’ while Jenson Huang was hoping that the conversation was good Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump had differing takes following their meeting in Busan, South Korea, yesterday. Xi said that the two sides should complete follow-up work as soon as possible to deliver tangible results that would provide “peace of mind” to China, the US and the rest of the world, while Trump hailed the “great success” of the talks. The two discussed trade, including a deal to reduce tariffs slapped on China for its role in the fentanyl trade, as well as cooperation in ending the war in Ukraine, among other issues, but they did not mention
HOTEL HIRING: An official said that hoteliers could begin hiring migrant workers next year, but must adhere to a rule requiring a NT$2,000 salary hike for Taiwanese The government is to allow the hospitality industry to recruit mid-level migrant workers for housekeeping and three other lines of work after the Executive Yuan yesterday approved a proposal by the Ministry of Labor. A shortage of workers at hotels and accommodation facilities was discussed at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee. A 2023 survey conducted by the Tourism Administration found that Taiwan’s lodging industry was short of about 6,600 housekeeping and cleaning workers, the agency said in a report to the committee. The shortage of workers in the industry is being studied, the report said. Hotel and Lodging Division Deputy Director Cheng
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
RSS