The Hindu : Front Page : "Civilian rule in 2 weeks"

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Thursday, Sep 21, 2006
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"Civilian rule in 2 weeks"

P.S. Suryanarayana

General atmosphere in Thailand peaceful

Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratglin

SINGAPORE: Thailand's Army Chief and coup leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin on Wednesday assured the international community that a civilian government would be appointed in two weeks and that the Constitution modified before elections scheduled in a year.

Gen. Sonthi, who toppled the controversial Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a coup on Tuesday night, said this at a briefing for foreign envoys, diplomatic sources there said.

Authoritative Thai sources said the coup was "a very divisive" issue among the people. But the military leaders are believed to have struck only after reaching a "consensus."

Loyalty to king

Flanked by other commanders, Gen. Sonthi appeared on television to announce the takeover. Their loyalty to the constitutional monarch was highlighted, with pictures of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and the Queen in the backdrop.

Gen. Sonthi said the coup leaders had "no intention to rule" and that they would "return power to the people" after stabilising democracy.

The general atmosphere across Thailand was peaceful not only during the takeover, but also after the television address.

On Tuesday night, Gen. Sonthi, in a statement on television, said the king had "appointed" him for "the sake of the nation's peace and order." The people should remain "calm" and officials should "follow" orders.

The Administrative Reform Council (ARC), as the new `government' is called, said that regional commanders were being assigned the tasks of governance. Public institutions were ordered to close for the day.

The ARC reinforced the martial law that was imposed in the early hours of Wednesday by banning the assembly of more than five people.

I am unemployed: Thaksin

Mr. Thaksin, who was in New York on Tuesday, cancelled his address to the U.N. General Assembly.

He told reporters that he went to New York as Prime Minister and was leaving as an "unemployed man."

There was no official confirmation of reports that his wife had dodged the ARC and left Bangkok for Singapore.

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