It was only recently, earlier this year in fact, that Thailand's Army Commander-in-Chief called military coups in his country "a thing of the past." And, after 15 years without the military taking control of Thailand by force -- in a country which had experienced 17 military coups since becoming a constitutional monarchy in 1932 -- it seemed as though General Sondhi Boonyaratkalin were being sincere.
Late Tuesday though, the general pounced. With no sign that the months-long political stalemate in the country was close to being resolved, Sondhi sent tanks and soldiers onto the streets of Bangkok, declared martial law and seized power in the country. The government district was cordoned off, but elsewhere in the city of 10 million life continued largely as normal and there were no injuries reported.
The overthrow, Sondhi said in a statement broadcast on television, was necessary "in order to resolve the conflict and bring back normalcy and harmony among people." He continued, "We would like to reaffirm that we don't have any intention to rule the country and will return power to the Thai people as soon as possible." On Wednesday, he said that a general election would be held in October 2007.
The military's coup took advantage of the fact that Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was in New York for a United Nations General Assembly. He initially attempted to call for a state of emergency by telephone and to dismiss Sondhi, but was unable to thwart the overthrow. According to a newspaper report, he has now flown to London with a number of his advisors, though it is unclear whether he has accepted his ouster. The AP, however, quotes government spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee, who is travelling with Thaksin, as saying: "We have to accept what happened. We are not coming back soon."
In comments on Wednesday, Sondhi seemed to indicate that Thaksin could face prosecution were he to return to Thailand. "Those who have committed wrongdoings have to be prosecuted according to the law," Sondhi told a news conference in Bangkok. He also said that a new Thai constitution will be drafted within two weeks and that he intends to pass the reins of leadership off to a civilian leader within fourteen days. All international agreements, he insisted, would be honored.
Despite the bloodless nature of the coup and the equanimity with which most Thais have greeted the takeover, many international leaders have condemned the overthrow. A statement issued by the US State Department said it hopes "the Thai people will resolve their political differences in accord with democratic principles and the rule of law." Others used more pointed language. Australia said that democracy had been "destroyed" in the country and Malaysia's Prime Minster Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he was "shocked" by the coup. A joint European Union statement demanded "that the military forces stand back and give way to the democratically elected political government."
The coup comes after months of political standstill in Thailand. Although having twice won landslide election victories, mass street protests in the spring led to Thaksin calling a snap poll in April. The vote was boycotted by the opposition amid allegations that Thaksin had skewed the Election Commission in his favor, rendering the election result invalid. The government crisis has hurt the country's economy and slowed growth, though early indications show that the coup could damage the economy further, at least initially. The Thai baht, one of the region's strongest currencies, plunged in its biggest fall in three years within hours of the overthrow.
General Sondhi was chosen by Thaksin to head up Thailand's military partly because he is a Muslim, the first time a Muslim had ascended to the top army post in the Buddhist-dominated country. Thaksin had been hoping that Sondhi might make headway in dealing with the ongoing, bloody Muslim insurgency in the south of the country. Some 1,700 people have been killed in the region since 2004 with Sondhi recently calling for negotiations instead of Thaksin's tough approach to the problem.
Sondhi is also considered close to Thailand's monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej who has indicated that he is not happy with Thaksin's leadership. Indeed, as part of the coup, a motorcade brought the heads of the armed forces to the palace to report to the king, a procession that was broadcast on television.
On Wednesday, the normally bustling city of Bangkok was unusually quiet with many residents electing to stay home. According to AP, the only places doing much business at all were the tourist hotspots. The newly created Council of Administrative Reform had announced stiff penalties for gatherings of more than five people. Still, some had ventured out, like Pongspan Lang, a student at Bangkok's Thammasat University. "I wanted to see it for myself," Pongspan told AP. "It's one of those things that you can't believe until you actually see it."
cgh/ap/reuters
Post to other social networks:
Stay informed with our free news services:
| All news from SPIEGEL International | Twitter | RSS |
© SPIEGEL ONLINE 2006
All Rights Reserved
Reproduction only allowed with the permission of SPIEGELnet GmbH
