Muslim Rebel Leader Welcomes Thai Coup

Thai soldiers man a checkpoint in front of a tank on the road leading to government house after the military coup Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand. The army commander who seized Thailand's government Wednesday in a quick, bloodless coup pledged to hold elections by October 2007, and hinted that ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra may face prosecution. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong) (Apichart Weerawong - AP)

Sondhi has said he would serve as de facto prime minister for two weeks and then the junta, which calls itself the Council of Administrative Reform, will choose a civilian to replace him. A constitution is to be drawn up and elections held in one year's time.

The military leader recieved the imprimatur Wednesday of revered King Bhumibol received, which should effectively quash any efforts at resistance by Thaksin's partisans.

Since taking over, coup-leaders have detained Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit and Thaksin's top aide Prommin Lertsuridej for questioning, the Council of Administrative Reform confirmed in a statement late Wednesday. Two ministers close to the deposed leader _ Newin Chidchob and Yongyuth Tiyapairat _ were "invited" to report to the junta.

The Nation newspaper on Thursday published a 100-name "watch list" of additional politicians, business people and others close to Thaksin who could be investigated by the new power brokers.

The junta empowered Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka to investigative government corruption, which could lead to the confiscation of Thaksin's assets. Jaruvan, dubbed "The Iron Lady" was one of the few government officials who tried to expose corruption during Thaksin's regime and would have lost her job if it had not been for backing from the palace.

The Office of the Auditor-General announced Wednesday it would continue its investigation into 14 alleged corruption cases which occured during Thaksin's tenure.

Thaksin's ouster followed a series of missteps that prompted many to accuse the prime minister of challenging the king's authority _ an unpardonable act in this traditional Southeast Asian nation that is a popular vacation destination for Westerners.

Many Thais appeared relieved at the resolution of political tensions festering since the beginning of the year, when street demonstrations demanding Thaksin step down for alleged corruption and abuse of power gained momentum.

Thailand has had no working legislature and only a caretaker government since February, when Thaksin dissolved parliament to hold new elections in an effort to reaffirm his mandate.

The presence of tanks and armed soldiers on the streets of Bangkok, a city of more than 10 million, was taken with good humor in an almost holiday atmosphere.

The bloodless nature of the coup gave hope that the effects on Thailand's large tourist industry might be minimal.

Schools, government offices and the stock market were closed Wednesday but reopened Thursday when Bangkok's notorious traffic jams returned with a vengeance.

The U.S. government denounced the coup, Thailand's first in 15 years, and hinted that U.S. aid, military cooperation and improved trade relations might be in jeopardy. "It is a step backward for democracy," State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said.

The European Union demanded "that the military forces stand back and give way to the democratically elected political government."

The International Monetary Fund, which bailed Thailand and some of its neighbors out of a financial crisis in the late 1990s, believed the region would be little affected, said the IMF's chief, Rodrigo de Rato.

Although Thaksin handily won three general elections, opponents accused him of emasculating democratic institutions, including packing the state Election Commission with cronies and stifling media that were once among Asia's freest.