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| Thailand coup d'etat: Military seizes power after meeting with all rival factions | Thailand coup d'etat: Military seizes power after meeting with all rival factions |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Thailand's army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha seized control of the government on Thursday, saying the army had to restore order and push through reforms, two days after declaring martial law. | Thailand's army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha seized control of the government on Thursday, saying the army had to restore order and push through reforms, two days after declaring martial law. |
| Witnesses said Thai soldiers took the leader of anti-government protests out a meeting of all factions. | Witnesses said Thai soldiers took the leader of anti-government protests out a meeting of all factions. |
| An army spokesperson told The Independent: "There was no agreement at the meeting and the coup has taken place." | |
| The military will be sending troops and vehicles to escort protesters away from rally sites, a senior army official told Reuters. | |
| Prayuth made the announcement in a television broadcast after he held a meeting with all rival factions aimed at finding a solution to six months of anti-government protests. | Prayuth made the announcement in a television broadcast after he held a meeting with all rival factions aimed at finding a solution to six months of anti-government protests. |
| "In order for the situation to return to normal quickly and for society to love and be at peace again ... and to reform the structure of the political, economic and social structure, the military needs to take control of power," he said. | |
| He said the takeover would not affect international relations. The move comes after Thailand’s military imposed martial law in the Southeast Asian country on Tuesday, in an attempt to restore order following months of protests. | He said the takeover would not affect international relations. The move comes after Thailand’s military imposed martial law in the Southeast Asian country on Tuesday, in an attempt to restore order following months of protests. |
| On Wednesday, General Prayuth Chan-ocha had called seven different groups for a meeting at a military recreational facility on the edge of Bangkok. | On Wednesday, General Prayuth Chan-ocha had called seven different groups for a meeting at a military recreational facility on the edge of Bangkok. |
| The different groups invited included representatives from the government, the Phua Thai party associated with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the Red Shirts movement (which has largely supported the government), the opposition Democrat party, the upper house of the parliament and the anti-government protesters whose demonstrations have undermined the government’s ability to operate. Representatives of the country’s election commission have also been invited. | The different groups invited included representatives from the government, the Phua Thai party associated with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the Red Shirts movement (which has largely supported the government), the opposition Democrat party, the upper house of the parliament and the anti-government protesters whose demonstrations have undermined the government’s ability to operate. Representatives of the country’s election commission have also been invited. |
| Wednesday's talks ended inconclusively with neither side backing down from their entrenched positions, participants said. |