| Page 2 of 3 < > |
Thai Army Leaders Depose Prime Minister
Thai soldiers patrol outside Government House, the prime minister's offices, in Bangkok. Troops seized the capital Tuesday night without firing a shot.
(Associated Press)
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
Bush has made the spread of democratic rule abroad a key theme of his administration. It remained unclear what response the U.S. government would take to the overthrow of an elected figure whom Bush called a "very capable leader" in 2003. In recent months, White House officials have been distancing themselves from Thaksin.
"We look to the Thai people to resolve their political differences in a peaceful manner and in accord with the principles of democracy and rule of law," said Ken Bailes, spokesman for the U.S. State Department, on Tuesday.
In Thailand, announcements on state-run television signed by coup leader Sonthi said martial law had been declared and the 1997 constitution had been revoked.
The stock exchange was closed Wednesday, along with schools, banks and government offices.
Thai tourism officials expressed concerns Wednesday about the impact of the coup on the country's tourism industry, The Nation reported.
"A number of tourists cut short their trips to Thailand yesterday, fearing of the possible violence," the newspaper said. "A number of tourists were seen queuing up at Don Muang Airport to go home."
At a news conference in Beijing on Wednesday evening, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. said the coup in Thailand had so far not disrupted the world economy.
"It's always very regrettable when you see a change take place this way in a democracy," Paulson said. "But in terms of the economic impact, if I'm thinking of the top five or six things I'm worrying about today, that isn't on the list."
Thailand's army banned political gatherings of more than five people, the Reuters news agency reported. The cable TV operator shut down broadcasting of international channels. Local TV stations showed images of tanks.
Bangkok's streets were mostly empty and calm prevailed early in the day.
But at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, a group of activists was arrested while protesting the coup, according to The Nation.
Thaksin, a former senior police official who built a fortune in the telecommunications industry, has faced street protests for much of the year over allegations of corruption, abuse of power and a bungling response to a Muslim insurgency. Many military officers contended that he was trying to interfere with promotions and postings in the armed forces.
