Soldiers swept into the streets of Bangkok, protest leaders were rounded up and international TV networks went dark Thursday after a military coup pitched Thailand into an unsettling new period of political uncertainty.
U.S. officials quickly condemned the takeover and warned that they were reviewing military and other assistance to Thailand.
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Thailand's military seized power on Thursday in a bloodless coup, dissolving the government, suspending the constitution and dispersing groups of protesters from both sides of the country's political divide.
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In a televised announcement, Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, commander in chief of the Royal Thai Army, said the coup would help a fractious country “return to normal quickly” after months of political instability. “The military has to return peace and order to the country as soon as possible,” Prayuth said.
But the move could inflame tensions by eliminating an elected government and marginalizing a boisterous opposition group.
[Read: Here are the last 11 coups staged by Thailand’s military.]
Soon after the coup, the military said it had suspended the constitution, dismissed the caretaker government and ordered cabinet ministers to turn themselves in. Prayuth was proclaimed the head of a council that will temporarily run the country.
Thailand’s army announced a nationwide curfew from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m., in effect until further notice. Meanwhile, soldiers went to various pro- and anti-government sites across the capital of Bangkok, detaining some of the leaders deemed responsible for Thailand’s protracted political crisis.
Although the extent of military control of the country was not immediately evident, initial reports indicated that troops were able to clear protest sites with relative order.
In Washington, Secretary of State John F. Kerry said “there is no justification for this military coup” and warned there would be “negative implications for the U.S.-Thai relationship, especially for our relationship with the Thai military.”
In a statement, Kerry said he was concerned by reports that senior political leaders had been detained and that media outlets had been shut down. “I urge the restoration of civilian government immediately, a return to democracy, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, such as press freedoms,” he said.
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U.S. officials quickly condemned the takeover and warned that they were reviewing military and other assistance to Thailand.
Videoห
Thailand's military seized power on Thursday in a bloodless coup, dissolving the government, suspending the constitution and dispersing groups of protesters from both sides of the country's political divide.
More world coverage
Tensions rise in Libyan capital as Islamist militias deploy
Sharif Abdel Kouddous 7:01 AM ET
An all-out war between them and forces loyal to an ex-general seeking parliament’s dissolution is feared.
Jaime Lusinchi, former Venezuelan president, dies at 89
— From staff and wire reports 6:07 AM ET
As his country’s leader from 1984 to 1989, he struggled with an economic crisis marked by galloping inflation.
The better ghosts of Russian history, alive in museums
Will Englund 2:11 AM ET
A trio of exhibit spaces summons love, joy and flavors of the past.
In a televised announcement, Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, commander in chief of the Royal Thai Army, said the coup would help a fractious country “return to normal quickly” after months of political instability. “The military has to return peace and order to the country as soon as possible,” Prayuth said.
But the move could inflame tensions by eliminating an elected government and marginalizing a boisterous opposition group.
[Read: Here are the last 11 coups staged by Thailand’s military.]
Soon after the coup, the military said it had suspended the constitution, dismissed the caretaker government and ordered cabinet ministers to turn themselves in. Prayuth was proclaimed the head of a council that will temporarily run the country.
Thailand’s army announced a nationwide curfew from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m., in effect until further notice. Meanwhile, soldiers went to various pro- and anti-government sites across the capital of Bangkok, detaining some of the leaders deemed responsible for Thailand’s protracted political crisis.
Although the extent of military control of the country was not immediately evident, initial reports indicated that troops were able to clear protest sites with relative order.
In Washington, Secretary of State John F. Kerry said “there is no justification for this military coup” and warned there would be “negative implications for the U.S.-Thai relationship, especially for our relationship with the Thai military.”
In a statement, Kerry said he was concerned by reports that senior political leaders had been detained and that media outlets had been shut down. “I urge the restoration of civilian government immediately, a return to democracy, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, such as press freedoms,” he said.
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