Thais Wait And See In Wake Of Coup
By Johanna Son
20 September, 2006
Inter Press ServiceBANGKOK, Sep 19 (IPS) - Tuesday evening was just like any muggy night, except for telltale signs that suddenly had residents of the Thai capital sitting up. Troops in camouflage, fully armed with machine guns, were fanning out across the city streets, and news reports soon said tanks were taking over the Government House and that soldiers had gone into the Prime Minister's office.
Thais are far from unfamiliar with coups but the last one was in 1992. It was clear that a military coup was underway against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was away at the United Nations in New York when coup leaders announced past 1 a.m. Wednesday that they had overthrown the prime minister.
Hours earlier, Thaksin, the subject of growing opposition by critics at home, had declared a state of emergency from New York and announced the removal of the army chief.
But what was important to many was what was happening on the ground in Bangkok. His deputy prime minister, Surakiart Sathirathai, insisted that the government remained in control.
Past midnight, cable television channels like CNN and BBC stopped. Instead, government TV repeatedly played the anthem of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, showing footage on the king and an announcement by the army chief, Sondhi Boonyarakkarin, saying that martial law had been declared and that troops had been asked to return to their bases after the prime minister had been ousted.
"In our hearts that's where he stays, he's the light that shines across the skies," went one of the songs played on television, in reference to the king.
Clearly, the message by the coup plotters -- who were reported to have announced martial law in the wee hours of the morning of Sep. 20 -- was that they had stepped in to save the country, and that they were in support of the king. There has been no statement from the palace, however.
Calling themselves "loyal" officers, coup leaders declared a provisional authority in support of the king, who marks the 60th year of his ascension of the throne this year.
News reports from Thai TV Channel 5, the army channel, said that a "Council of Administrative Reform" has been formed with the king as head of state.
At 1:30 a.m. local time, a spokeswoman on army television said that there will be no more caretaker prime minister, referring to Thaksin. "The military will take control of the country until there is a new prime minister," she said.
Video footage of the tanks outside Government House showed turrets tied with yellow ribbons -- a sign of loyalty to the king.
The colour yellow is linked to the king and since the anniversary of his becoming the monarch in June this year, many Thais have been wearing yellow shirts to show their support, respect and love for the monarch who has led Thailand through many political crises - and in the past stepped in to mediate after past coups by military officers.
Thailand may change prime ministers, have revolving-door governments and have military coups, but the king has been a factor of unity that has held this South-east Asian country, a constitutional monarchy since 1932, together.
"We kept reading about coups lately, but I didn't expect this to really happen now," remarked one employee, watching television and surfing the Internet for the latest news.
Thailand has witnessed 17 coups over the past 74 years. For 46 of those years, it has been governed by military dictators.
The coup comes after months of political turmoil in Thailand, all swirling around Thaksin, a billionaire whose Thai Rak Thai party won a landslide victory in 2001 but whose political star has since fallen -- and how.
Public opinion began turning against him after reports emerged that his family had sold a stake in its Shin Corp telecommunications empire in January without paying taxes.
The stake was sold to Singapore's Temasek Holdings, which put Thaksin under fire for supposedly working against the national interest because he had sold out control in as strategic an area as telecommunications and gained personal profit from the transaction.
Public protests were held in the months afterward, forcing Thaksin to call early polls in April to gain a new mandate. His party won that vote -- boycotted by opposition parties. But the election was annulled due to irregularities and Thaksin became caretaker prime minister, and was meant to be so until new elections are held later this year. Tuesday night's coup may have changed that status.
On Aug. 24 Thaksin survived, what officials said was an assassination attempt, after a bomb was found left in a car near his home. Five military officers were arrested, though some quarters doubted the authenticity of the assassination attempt. Thaksin has been on the political offensive in recent weeks, using government media to talk about his views and plans.
Just on Monday, the political atmosphere was such that some anti-Thaksin critics, including businessman and publisher Sondhi Limthongkul, had pledged to return to the streets to force Thaksin out of office.
On Saturday, simultaneous explosions in Hat Yai, southern Thailand, also rocked the nation, once again putting Thaksin's handling of the unrest in the mainly Muslim south, into question.
This was the atmosphere in which the coup took place. In the wee hours of Wednesday most of Bangkok was awake, wondering if there would be work the next day, if Thaksin would come back to Bangkok -- and if he did, would there be stability.
Copyright © 2006 IPS-Inter Press Service
