ARMY CHIEF PRAYUTH SEIZES POWER
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Military move follows the failure of second round of talks yesterday between conflicting political groups; curfew imposed nationwide from 10pm to 5am until further notice
Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha yesterday staged a coup d’etat to seize power in the country after warring parties failed to reach a compromise to bring the country out of the six-month-long political crisis.
Two days after the declaration of martial law that was followed by two rounds of meetings between the rival groups, Prayuth lost patience and ordered the detention of more than 30 representatives at the talks before announcing the seizure of power.
“In order for the country to return to normal quickly, the National Peace and Order Maintaining Council comprising the Armed Forces and the police needed to seize power as of May 22 at 4.30pm,” he announced.
He urged people to stay calm and continue their lives as usual and said the bureaucracy would run the country.
Relations with foreign countries would continue as usual, he said in his statement.
Diplomatic corps, representatives of international organisations and foreigners living in Thailand will be protected, he said.
All units of the Armed Forced were ordered to remain in their stations, he said.
The pro-government red-shirt protesters, who were camped at Aksa Road in the western part of the capital, were purged shortly after the seizure of power.
Political conflict in the Kingdom was ignited last November when the Opposition Democrat Party and the anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) staged demonstrations against the government-sponsored Amnesty Bill, which aimed to whitewash fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra after he was convicted of abuse of power following the 2006 coup.
The Pheu Thai government dissolved the House of Representatives and called an election on February 2. Earlier this month, the anti-government movement achieved its goal of toppling the government under Yingluck Shinawatra, who is the younger sister of Thaksin.
Violence took place from time to time between protesters, security officials and unknown armed groups.
The February 2 election was nullified by the Constitutional Court and the court later removed Yingluck from the PM’s office for her role in the unlawful transfer of the National Security Council chief.
Prayuth said he had enforced martial law to control the situation and enable negotiations to take place between the conflicting groups.
The first round of talks on Tuesday failed to reach a solution. Prayuth gave “homework” to the participants and told them to get back to him with answers yesterday.
Representatives from Yingluck’s Pheu Thai Party, the Democrat Party, the pro-government United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), the PDRC, the Senate and the Election Commission attended yesterday’s meeting.
They were given a break after two hours. Prayuth invited UDD leader Jatuporn Promphan and PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban for a private chat.
As the meeting resumed, Prayuth asked Justice Minister Chaikasem Nitisiri whether the caretaker Cabinet would resign. When Chaikasem said no, the Army chief said: “Then I seize power.”
