Story Headlines: • NEW: Thai military says nation under martial law • NEW: Thailand's constitution suspended • Thai prime minister at United Nations in New York • Tanks in streets of Bangkok Code: BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- Tanks and troops patrolled Bangkok late Tuesday after the chief of Thailand's army said the military was taking control of the country. The coup against the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is being led by Thai army chief Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin and Thailand's opposition Party of Democratic Reform. The coup plotters declared martial law and suspended the constitution of the Southeast Asia nation. (Watch tanks roll through the streets of Bangkok -- 3:53) Thaksin, in New York to address the United Nations, declared a state of emergency and said his government was still in control of the country. Troops on the streets of the Thai capital had yellow ribbons on their weapons, a sign of loyalty to the nation's king, to whom the coup plotters proclaimed their loyalty. At least four tanks and a number of armored vehicles were stationed around the royal palace in Bangkok, CNN's Dan Rivers reported. Soldiers were apparently setting up roadblocks and what appeared to be members of the royal guard surrounded the palace. It was unclear if the soldiers were loyal to the government or to those attempting to seize power. Two tanks were parked outside the government headquarters, which houses Thaksin's office. There have been no reports of violence. Rumors have been swirling in the Thai capital in recent weeks that a coup d'etat was being planned. Thaksin, who has been under considerable pressure to step down, decided Monday night to reschedule his speech to the U.N. General Assembly for Tuesday night and return to Bangkok afterward, according to U.N. officials. He had originally been scheduled to address the assembly on Wednesday. Elections in Thailand are scheduled for November after the country's constitutional court ruled that a vote in April vote was unconstitutional. Thaksin had called for the April elections, three years early, after opponents accused the billionaire leader of abusing the country's system of checks and balances and bending government policy to benefit his family's business. Thailand has seen dozens of government coups since the end of World War II. CNN's Richard Roth contributed to this report http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/09/1...umor/index.html Crazy ----.
Too early to tell what's going to happen atm. Thailand has been through this process many times before and each time the military leader has always supported democratic elections after the coup. The army will probably be in power until the scheduled democratic elections in November this year.
Hm. It seems that chaos is truly a common thing with whats going on today. I have been to the Far East myself (Vietnam, not Thailand), and I can understand where a military can be too strong or too power-hungry. I think that this whole martial law deal is going to definately cause a stir with their leader. I mean, with that kind of man, who needs Capitalism? A leader must be one of equal understanding of the social classes, not one of wealth.
umm... this isnt really 'crazy' there has been many many coups before in Thai history. Pretty much the PM of Thailand has been doing very corrupt business dealings to profit his own family company. Everyone knew about it so the military lead a coup while the pm was in the NY at the UN and put there General (Sanshi sp?) in a tempoaraily position of power untill they are able to allow to elect a new pm.
About time actually. Tension had been building up since the election of that prime minister...the second time around.
you realize that proletarians tend to be stupid ignorant and foolish, correcct? on the other end however you have the relatively smart and knowlegeable bourgeiousie which know what it is doing for better or for worse. if you leave the power in the elite's hands(as noted in effectively every government today INCLUDING communist governments) they will act in their interest, if you leave it in the lower classes hands, they will ---- everything up. it is the middle man, the moderately educated, somewhat intelligent and impartial man who should truely rule. unfortunately it will never happen and we will continue to f' ourselves.. and for the record communism as has been implemented currently solves nothing
The reason the majority of Porteliterians are un-educated is because the bourgeouis controlls the education system and controlls all ascepts of there lives that interatice with the media, goverment, law, etc..... There has never been a true communist conutry so you cant use the USSR, N. Korea, China, Laos, N. Vietnam, etc.... You cant use them because they were never communist. The middle man gets screwed almost as much as the proteilerians, when the proteilerians get educated about the system and opperison they live in, then they will be able to over throw the bourgeouis. WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE!
