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Political Leaders in Thailand Submit to Military Takeover Thai Military Detains Ousted Leaders as Coup Sets Off Small Acts of Protest
(about 5 hours later)
BANGKOK — Leading members of Thailand’s largest political party surrendered to the military on Friday, a day after the head of the army overthrew the country’s elected government. BANGKOK — Former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and leading members of Thailand’s deposed government surrendered to the military on Friday after being summoned by the generals now leading the country.
Former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her close associates were among approximately 150 people who had been summoned by the military. Ms. Yingluck arrived at a military facility around noon. The political leaders were detained, the military said, without providing information about their whereabouts. Ms. Yingluck was one of about 150 people sent for by the junta, which seized power in a coup on Thursday.
But there were also early signs of defiance toward the military takeover, Thailand’s second coup in a decade. Small groups of people opposed to the coup gathered around Bangkok and the northern city of Chiang Mai, displaying signs critical of the military. Some symbolically taped their mouths shut. Even as military leaders tried to tighten their hold on the country, there were early signs of defiance toward Thailand’s second coup in a decade.
Several hundred people gathered in Bangkok’s main shopping district and confronted a line of heavily armed soldiers. “Get out, dictators!” the crowd chanted. The protest was organized through Facebook. Small groups of people opposed to the coup gathered around Bangkok and a northern city, Chiang Mai, displaying signs critical of the military. Some symbolically taped their mouths shut.
“The anticoup protests have begun,” one man shouted. Despite a ban by the junta on gatherings of more than five people, hundreds of protesters assembled in Bangkok’s main shopping district and confronted a line of heavily armed soldiers. “Get out, dictators!” chanted the crowd, which had been organized through Facebook.
As the political crisis continued to unfold Friday, the United States announced that it was suspending $3.5 million in military aid to Thailand, according to The Associated Press. Marie Harf, a spokeswoman for the State Department, said officials were still reviewing whether to cut off an additional $7 million in direct assistance to the country, The A.P. reported. One man shouted, “The anti-coup protests have begun.”
The dissent over the military takeover in Thailand underlined what appeared to differentiate the events from those of the previous coup, in 2006, when opposition to the military coalesced more slowly. The protesters were dispersed by soldiers at dusk, and about five people were arrested.
During the last coup, in 2006, opposition to the military coalesced more slowly.
Thailand has had about a dozen coups over the past eight decades, but analysts said Thursday’s upheaval was among the most contentious, and risky. The party that was ousted is well organized and has vowed to fight for electoral democracy.
One prominent member of the movement supporting the deposed government, Sombat Boonngamanong, wrote on Facebook that he would defy a military summons. “Catch me if you can,” he titled his post.One prominent member of the movement supporting the deposed government, Sombat Boonngamanong, wrote on Facebook that he would defy a military summons. “Catch me if you can,” he titled his post.
“I don’t accept the power of the coup makers,” he wrote, urging Thais to “join the resistance.”“I don’t accept the power of the coup makers,” he wrote, urging Thais to “join the resistance.”
Thai history is strewn with military interventions, but analysts said this was among the most contentious and risky. The governing party, founded by Ms. Yingluck’s brother Thaksin Shinawatra, is well organized and has vowed to fight for electoral democracy. The political movement was founded by Ms. Yingluck’s brother Thaksin Shinawatra, a tycoon and former prime minister. The coup has effectively disenfranchised Mr. Thaksin’s many supporters in the rural north of the country, who keep winning national elections only to see their chosen leaders ousted in a long-running political struggle with the Bangkok establishment. The 2006 coup unseated Mr. Thaksin, who now lives in self-imposed exile rather than face corruption charges at home that he says are politically motivated.
Yet as with the coup in 2006, there were many Thais who said they were grateful toward the military. They blamed politicians for six months of deadlock that led to the coup. Still, as with the coup in 2006, many Thais said this week that they were grateful toward the military, blaming politicians for a six-month political deadlock and saying it necessitated a takeover.
“It’s time to clean this country up,” read a comment by someone who identified himself as Chaiwat Kongpradit. “Hooray! Our hearts are with the Thai military.” “It’s time to clean this country up,” read one comment on a special Facebook page that was set up by the junta but carried a wide range of opinions. “Hooray! Our hearts are with the Thai military.”
The comment was posted on a Facebook page established by the junta and which soon featured a wide range of opinions. Another posting described the coup as futile because Mr. Thaksin’s political movement would probably win elections again once democracy returned to the country. His movement has won every election since 2001, but its leaders have been removed from power five times, including three times by the courts, whose decisions have largely favored the traditional elites.
Another comment described the coup as futile because the governing party would most likely win elections again once democracy returns to the country. Mr. Thaksin’s political movement has won every election since 2001, but its leaders have been removed from power five times, including three times by the courts. Ms. Yingluck was already out of office at the time of this week’s coup, after having been removed this month by a court ruling; one of her deputies had taken over as prime minister.
The junta announced severe restrictions on the news media in the hours after Thursday’s coup, barring the dissemination of “secret” information or anything that could lead to “confusion, provocation, agitation or create conflict or division.”
There was a sense among analysts and commentators that Thailand’s political turmoil was far from over.There was a sense among analysts and commentators that Thailand’s political turmoil was far from over.
The Bangkok Post, an English-language daily, warned that a coup was “not the solution.” The Bangkok Post, an English-language daily newspaper, warned in an editorial that a coup was “not the solution.” The military’s takeover is “likely to stir up stiff resistance, provoke acts of violence and possibly cause more loss of life,” it said.
The military’s takeover was “likely to stir up stiff resistance, provoke acts of violence and possibly cause more loss of life,” the paper said in an editorial. The United States on Friday urged citizens to “reconsider any nonessential travel to Thailand.”
Kong Rithdee, a writer and columnist, said in an email that the coup risked deflating what he called the myth of Thailand as the land of smiles. The military takeover drew rebukes from the United States and other world powers, and on Friday, Marie Harf, the deputy State Department spokeswoman, said the department had suspended $3.5 million in financing for military sales and military training and was reviewing the rest of the $10.5 million in assistance it was providing Thailand.
“The mess that has been in the news presents such a contrast to the fantasy that a lot of people have about Thailand — and that we have about ourselves, too, to an extent,” he said. Asked what steps Thailand’s military needed to take to improve relations with the United States, and presumably qualify for a resumption of aid, Ms. Harf said, “We urge the immediate restoration of civilian rule, a return to democracy, and obviously respect for human rights during this period of uncertainty.”
A number of travel warnings by foreign governments went beyond routine precautionary advice. The Singapore government warned its citizens that they “should seriously reconsider visiting Thailand at the moment.”
“The situation is unpredictable and volatile, and may evolve quite rapidly,” the warning said.