Thailand's new military ruler pledged yesterday to resign from power in two weeks and restore democracy in a year, after sweeping aside Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a bloodless coup.
General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, who orchestrated Tuesday night's coup while the premier was out of the country, said Thaksin had been pushed out in line with the wishes of the people after months of political turmoil.
"I will resign as interim prime minister within two weeks, and now we are looking for the person who will become the new prime minister," said Sonthi, who added that he hoped to hold new elections in October next year.
PHOTO: AP
"The potential candidates are politically neutral and love democracy, with the king as head of state," he said.
After announcing the coup on Tuesday night, Sonthi and his generals met with revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Sonthi Boon-yaratglin said in a television statement yesterday that the king had endorsed him as the head of the interim governing council.
"For the sake of the nation's peace and order, the king has appointed General Sonthi Boon-yaratglin to become the leader of Military Council for Political Reform," said the statement read on national television.
"People should be calm and all government officials should follow General Sonthi's orders," it said.
Thailand has been wracked by months of upheaval since Thaksin's family sold nearly US$2 billion of shares in the telecoms firm he founded -- without paying any tax.
Waves of street protests convinced Thaksin to call a new election in April and step down temporarily, but the poll descended into chaos and members of the election commission were jailed on charges of helping Thaksin's party.
New elections were repeatedly delayed, and Sonthi said the generals had finally decided it was time to take action. He denied the king was involved.
"Nobody was behind us. We decided on our own, and we took care of it on our own," he said.
"We decided within the last two days to stage a coup because the people have called for it and also because of the mismanagement of the government," Sonthi said. Across Thailand, there were no immediate reports of violence or unrest.
Sonthi, who announced after the coup that the Constitution had been annulled, said a new interim constitution would be ready early next month, which would lead to a permanent constitution about one year later.
"The next general election will hopefully take place in October next year," the general said.
Earlier, Sonthi said there would be strict new controls on the media and a ban on public gatherings.
The country's border with Laos and Myanmar in the north, a strongly pro-Thaksin area, was closed.
In the capital Bangkok, the epicenter of the anti-Thaksin movement, many people seemed relieved. People adorned military vehicles with flowers and some gave soldiers food and drink.
"The revolution ... was not that bad and there was no violence," said the governor of the Bank of Thailand, Pridiyathorn Devakula. "This change is acceptable to the people, so it should not affect investments."
Also see stories:
Insurrection brings calm to Bangkok
Billionaire PM had no shortage of enemies
Army chief recently said coup would be `impossible'
SLOW-MOVING STORM: The typhoon has started moving north, but at a very slow pace, adding uncertainty to the extent of its impact on the nation Work and classes have been canceled across the nation today because of Typhoon Krathon, with residents in the south advised to brace for winds that could reach force 17 on the Beaufort scale as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecast that the storm would make landfall there. Force 17 wind with speeds of 56.1 to 61.2 meters per second, the highest number on the Beaufort scale, rarely occur and could cause serious damage. Krathon could be the second typhoon to land in southwestern Taiwan, following typhoon Elsie in 1996, CWA records showed. As of 8pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 180km
TYPHOON DAY: Taitung, Pingtung, Tainan, Chiayi, Hualien and Kaohsiung canceled work and classes today. The storm is to start moving north this afternoon The outer rim of Typhoon Krathon made landfall in Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) at about noon yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, adding that the eye of the storm was expected to hit land tomorrow. The CWA at 2:30pm yesterday issued a land alert for Krathon after issuing a sea alert on Sunday. It also expanded the scope of the sea alert to include waters north of Taiwan Strait, in addition to its south, from the Bashi Channel to the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島). As of 6pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 160km south of
STILL DANGEROUS: The typhoon was expected to weaken, but it would still maintain its structure, with high winds and heavy rain, the weather agency said One person had died amid heavy winds and rain brought by Typhoon Krathon, while 70 were injured and two people were unaccounted for, the Central Emergency Operation Center said yesterday, while work and classes have been canceled nationwide today for the second day. The Hualien County Fire Department said that a man in his 70s had fallen to his death at about 11am on Tuesday while trimming a tree at his home in Shoufeng Township (壽豐). Meanwhile, the Yunlin County Fire Department received a report of a person falling into the sea at about 1pm on Tuesday, but had to suspend search-and-rescue
RULES BROKEN: The MAC warned Chinese not to say anything that would be harmful to the autonomous status of Taiwan or undermine its sovereignty A Chinese couple accused of disrupting a pro-democracy event in Taipei organized by Hong Kong residents has been deported, the National Immigration Agency said in a statement yesterday afternoon. A Chinese man, surnamed Yao (姚), and his wife were escorted by immigration officials to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, where they boarded a flight to China before noon yesterday, the agency said. The agency said that it had annulled the couple’s entry permits, citing alleged contraventions of the Regulations Governing the Approval of Entry of People of the Mainland Area into the Taiwan Area (大陸地區人民進入台灣地區許可辦法). The couple applied to visit a family member in
RSS