2006 Thailand coup d'état
Encyclopedia
The 2006 Thai coup d'état took place on Tuesday 19 September 2006, when the Royal Thai Army staged a coup d'état
against the elected caretaker government
of Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra
. The coup d'état, which was Thailand
's first non-constitutional change of government in fifteen years, followed a year-long political crisis
involving Thaksin, his allies and political opponents and occurred less than a month before nation-wide House elections
were originally scheduled to be held. It has been widely reported in Thailand and elsewhere that General Prem Tinsulanonda
, Chairman of the Privy Council was the mastermind of the Coup. The military cancelled the upcoming elections, abrogated the Constitution
, dissolved Parliament
and Constitutional Court
, banned protest
s and all political activities, suppressed and censored
the media
, declared martial law
nationwide, and arrested Cabinet members.
The new rulers, led by general Sonthi Boonyaratglin
and organised in a Council for Democratic Reform (CDR), issued a pronunciamiento
on 21 September setting out their reasons for taking power and giving a commitment to restore democratic government within one year. However, the CDR also announced that after elections and the establishment of a democratic government, the council would be transformed into a permanent Council of National Security whose future role in Thai politics was not explained. The CNS later drafted an interim charter and appointed retired General Surayud Chulanont
as Premier. Martial law was lifted in 41 of Thailand's 76 provinces on 26 January 2007 but remained in place in another 35 provinces.
Elections were held on 23 December 2007, after a military-appointed tribunal outlawed the Thai Rak Thai
party of Thaksin Shinawatra
and banned TRT executives from contesting in elections for 5 years.
Planning for the coup started in approximately February 2006. Rumors about unrest in the armed forces and possible takeover plots unfurled for months leading to the pronunciamiento. In May 2006, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin
issued assurances that the military would not seize power. On 20 July 2006, around a hundred middle-ranking army officers said to be supporters of Thaksin
were reassigned by the army high command, fuelling rumors that the army was divided between supporters and opponents of the prime minister. In July 2006, 3rd Army Area Commander Saprang Kalayanamitr gave an interview where he stated that Thai politics was below standard and that the Kingdom's leadership was weak. He also claimed that Thailand had a false democracy. The public was becoming alarmed with each fresh rumor. On 15 July 2006 a democratic activist, Tavivoot Chulavachana, posted an open letter in Thailand's most popular political webboard, citing military sources, saying the military and Sondhi Limthongkul were conspiring to stage a takeover to rid the country of Thaksin, and then return power to the people—after a period of cleansing the country. In August 2006, there were reports of tank movements near Bangkok, but the military attributed these to a scheduled exercise. In early September, Thai police arrested five army officers, all members of Thailand's counter-insurgency command
, after intercepting one of the officers with a bomb in a car allegedly targeting the prime minister's residence. Three of the suspects were released after the coup.
In December 2006, former National Security Council head Prasong Soonsiri
claimed that he and five other senior military figures had been planning a coup as early as July. He claimed that Sonthi was one of those figures, but that Surayud and Prem were not involved at the time.
Thaksin Shinawatra
. At the time, the premier was in New York City for a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly
.
The junta
initially called the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy
(CDRM) later took the name of Council for Democratic Reform to rule out suspicions about the role of the monarchy.
Foreign news channels, such as BBC World
, CNN
, CNBC
and Bloomberg Television
, were reported to have been taken off air, although foreign broadcasters were still able to broadcast from Bangkok. Telecommunications networks (telephone and the Internet) were operational.
The Army declared martial law
nationwide, ordered all soldiers to report to their barracks and banned troop movements unauthorised by the CDR. Television footage showed heavily armed troops in M113
armored personnel carriers and M998 HMMWV vehicles on the streets of the city. Many soldiers and military vehicles wore strips of yellow cloth as a symbol of loyalty to the king, whose royal color is yellow.
Junta commander Sonthi Boonyaratglin
confirmed that Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit
and Defence Minister Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya
had been arrested. High-ranked civil servants were ordered to report to the Council while government offices and banks would be closed on 20 September.
A few hours after news of the coup broke, BBC News
reported that the leader of the coup would be meeting with the King later in the day, although it was unclear at that time what King Bhumibol's position on the coup was.
Shortly after this announcement, Thai TV programmes resumed whilst cable TV partly resumed. However, main foreign news channels (CNN, BBC, CNBC, NHK and Bloomberg) remained blacked out.
The country's northern border with Laos
and Myanmar
was closed for a couple of days.
In an interview given before leaving New York for London with Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai
, spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee, and his personal assistant Padung Limcharoenrat, Thaksin Shinawatra said:
Thaksin was escorted to his home in Kensington
where he joined his daughter Pinthongta, who is studying in London. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said that Thaksin's trip was a private visit.
Late in the evening, a spokesman of the CDR announced that the king has issued a royal command to appoint Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin as the CDR president.
Contradicting earlier announcements, the CDR issued a 13th statement maintaining the status of the newly selected Election Commission and adding that the EC ACT would organize the election of local administrations and councils.
The Council for Democratic Reform then issued its seventh order dividing responsibilities into four divisions as part of responsibility sharing. The four divisions are the CDR, the secretariat, the advisory division, and the special affairs division.
The files and papers related to the investigation of the alleged car bomb plot against Mr Thaksin (24 August 2006) vanished from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) Tuesday night around 21:30. Police loyal to deputy police chief Pol Gen Priewphan Damapong (brother of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's wife Khunying Potjaman
) were also seen loading assault weapons from the CSD in vehicles that went off to an unknown destination.
In the afternoon, Thailand's coup leader ordered media executives to army headquarters to tell them to stop carrying expression of public opinion following the military takeover. The move came after the military imposed strict controls on the media and said they would block information deemed harmful to the provisional military council now in control of Thailand. The army official said the normal television programming will be resumed but the council would begin making its own televised announcements every two hours starting from 11:00 am (0400 GMT).
RTA Troops and tanks began the process of reducing their presence at key government facilities. Four tanks remained at Government House early Thursday, down from 10 the previous day, and fewer armed soldiers are on guard. "As of now we have only two companies of troops — some 50 to 60 — deployed at Government House but total withdrawal is up to the army commander because there is not yet complete trust in the situation," Lieutenant Romklao Thuwatham.
Thailand's coup leader ordered two more top aides, Newin Chidchob, the minister attached to the premier's office, and Yongyuth Tiyapairat, minister of natural resources and environment, to deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
to report to the military, one day after detaining his senior deputy. "They must report themselves to the Council for Political Reform at Army Headquarters" at noon (0500 GMT) Thursday, the order said, referring to the provisional body the coup leaders have set up.
Ousted deputy prime minister Somkid Jatusripitak arrived at the Don Muang International Airport returning from France.
The chartered Thai Airways jet that took ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra
to New York and later to London returned to the Don Muang Military Airport after being diverted from Bangkok's commercial airport. Onboard the plane were some 20 members of the press corps and low-ranking officials who had travelled with him. 10 heavily armed commandos immediately surrounded the plane and conducted an inspection. All were released after their passports were stamped.
Ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra called for new snap elections in his homeland and confirmed he is bowing out of politics, urging "national reconciliation" after the coup in Bangkok. In a statement issued in London, Thaksin said he will devote himself to development and possibly charity work.
at the Royal Plaza on Wednesday 20 September to trigger violence and then declare a state of emergency and place the country under martial law. General Sonthi would have learned from an intelligence report that Yongyuth Tiyapairat and Newin Chidchob were planning to organise a counter protest with the support of the Forestry Police
("Hunter Soldiers" or Rangers) armed with HK33 rifles and acted before the bloodshed was set to take place. On Friday, the Rangers were in the process of being disarmed. Both Newin and Yongyuth were later detained, the latter being accused of mobilizing the Forestry Police. Coup-planner Prasong Soonsiri
later denied that Thaksin planned his own coup.
However, fellow The Nation columnist Chang Noi called Thanong Khanthong's claims "a myth" that had "achieved the status of 'fact'." Chang Noi noted the absolute lack of any corroborating evidence to support the claims of imminent violence as well as the lack of opposing troop movements on the night of the coup. Chang Noi called the myth a "salve" for people "surprised and a little ashamed to find themselves supporting a coup. This myth makes the coup reactive and defensive." He also noted that General Saprang Kalayanamitr
, commander of the Third Army, claimed that planning for the coup had begun 7 months in advance, thus contradicting claims that the coup was executed as a reactive pre-emptive strike against violence and Sonthi's who had said "hundreds of thousands" of pro- and anti-Thaksin supporters planned to descend on Bangkok.
General Sonthi later said in an interview that the coup was originally planned for 20 September, to coincide with a major anti-Thaksin rally also planned for that day. He cited the "Portuguese example
" in which anti-government rallies coincided with a successful military rebellion which overthrew King Manuel II of Portugal
and established the Portuguese First Republic
. The coup was moved up to 19 September, when Thaksin was still in New York. Sonthi also stated that the coup was not an urgent measure mooted just a couple of days earlier. Sonthi also claimed that during a lunch that Thaksin had with the commanders of the armed forces, Thaksin had asked him "Will you stage a coup?" Sonthi replied: "I will." This contradicted earlier public statements where he denied that the military would stage a coup.
The Nation noted that the timing of the coup contains many instances of the number nine, a highly auspicious number in Thai numerology
. The coup occurred at the 19th day of the 9th month of Buddhist Era 2549. Coup leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin made a major public announcement on the morning after the coup at 9.39 am. The Nation earlier indicated 9:16 as the time for Sonthi's press conference and it should be noted that the Buddhist calendar
is in line with the Gregorian calendar
only since 1941.
Two months after the coup, the junta issued a white paper
identifying many reasons for the coup, including corruption, abuse of power, lack of integrity, interference in the checks and balances system, human rights violations, and destroying the unity of the people.
Independent analysts identified widely differing reasons for the coup. Thitinan Pongsudhirak
of Chulalongkorn University
alleged that the coup was due to conflicts between Thaksin and King Bhumibol Adulyadej
. Biographer Paul Handley noted that "[the coup masterminds] did not want Thaksin in a position to exert influence on the passing of the Chakri Dynasty mantle to Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn." Giles Ungpakorn of Chulalongkorn University
claimed that the coup was due to class conflicts between the rural poor (who supported Thaksin) and the urban elite (who supported the junta).
and interim Prime Minister General Surayud Chulanont
later warned against Thaksin's return, calling his return a "threat." "Myself and several other people understand that supporters and opponents will clash on the day that Thaksin returns home. It would be a big commotion," he said.
Deputy Premier Surakiart Sathirathai
was with Thaksin attending the UN General Assembly in New York when the military staged a coup on Tuesday against the prime minister. Surakiart was, at the time, in the hotly contested race to succeed UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
, a Thai official said. "The (new) Thai authorities have reaffirmed their support for Dr Surakiart's candidature for the UNSG," Thai ambassador to the United States Virasakdi Futrakul told AFP. "There's no change. He's still in the race." The former Deputy Premier had left for Bangkok after the Junta took power.
Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya
remained in Singapore where he was attending the annual meeting of the World Bank
/IMF
. Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak
remained in Paris
but returned to Bangkok on Thursday. Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon
flew from Paris, where he was attending the Thai-France Cultural Exhibition presided over by HRH Princess Sirindhorn
, to Germany, before returning to Bangkok.
Agriculture Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan
was reported to have fled to Paris with her family. Thai Rak Thai
party executive and former Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana left the country for Germany.
was arrested after the coup and detained at the Army Command. He was detained on Wednesday and is now being held at a guesthouse on the northern outskirts of Bangkok
, according to army spokesman Colonel Acar Tiproj. Defence Minister Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya
is in hiding. His whereabouts are unknown. Former Secretary-General to the Premier Prommin Lertsuridej
and Labor Ministry Permanent Secretary Somchai Wongsawat (who is Thaksin's brother-in-law) were also placed under arrest on the second floor of the Army Command building. The Secretary-General was last reported being detained at the same guesthouse as the Deputy Chitchai Wannasathit
.
Natural Resources and Environmental Minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat and Deputy Agriculture Minister Newin Chidchop
were ordered to report themselves to the junta by noon Thursday. The junta did not specify what punishment they would receive if they failed to report. At the time, there were reports that both Yongyuth and Newin were in London. Troops raided Yongyuth's houses in Mae Chan district of Chiang Rai province (at 10.35 Wednesday) and Bangkok (Wednesday night), but did not find him. Both Yongyuth and Newin reported themselves at Army Headquarters on Thursday, and were detained.
Chidchai Wannasathit, Newin Chidchop, Yongyuth Tiyapairat, and Prommin Lertsuridet were freed after the Interim Charter was promulgated. The status of Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya was unknown.
, Phumtham Wechayachai and Suranand Vejjajiva were reported to still be in Thailand and not arrested by the junta. TRT MP Veera Musikapong was also at liberty. Party Deputy and Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit
and former Social Development and Human Security Minister Watana Muangsook were reported to be staying in the country at an unidentified location.
. Several military officers were transferred to inactive posts. Also removed were 18 senior police officers which the junta claimed could pose a threat to national security if they were to remain in their current posts. For a list of transferred military and police officers, see Removal from the civil service by the CDR. In early February, Police Commissioner-General Kowit Wattana himself was ousted for investigating military involvement in the 2007 Bangkok bombings.
The purge was completed in the junta's mid-year military reshuffle of April 2007, when all senior officers perceived as loyal to the Thaksin government were removed and replaced with officers trusted by the new regime.
The junta affirmed on 20 September that along with the abolition of the Constitution, the Constitutional Court
and other independent organisations set up under the abrogated charter were automatically abolished. However, the status of Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka
was maintained by an order of the junta. The same order dissolved the State Audit Commission. She appeared when summoned along with senior government officials by the junta.
Surasit Sangkhapong, director of the Government Lottery Office and an aide of Thaksin resigned to allow Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka
to conduct an investigation into an allegation of irregularity.
Pol Col Priewphan Damapong, Deputy Police Commissioner-General and brother-in-law of Thaksin Shinawatra, reported himself to the national police chief in line with the junta's orders.
Thaksin's wife and son, initially reported as having left Thailand for Singapore ahead of the declaration of martial law, were later reported in Thailand. It was suggested they remained to look after the family's finances. On Monday 25 September Pojaman Shinawatra left Bangkok at 1:30 am (1830 GMT) to join her husband in London.
The 11th official announcement of the military regime outlined its leadership. It was composed of the leaders of all branches of the Thai military and police.
On 20 September 2006 (local time in Bangkok), the junta denied that it had appointed a Prime Minister, and noted that General Sonthi Boonyaratglin had the powers of a Premier.
A week after the coup, Sonthi's former classmate General Boonsrang Naimpradit was promoted from Deputy Supreme Commander to the post of Supreme Commander, replacing Ruangroj Mahasaranon
. Junta Secretary General, Winai Phattiyakul, was promoted to the post of Permanent Secretary for Defence.
Gen Sonthi also promoted his fellow classmates and lieutenants in the coup, 1st Army Region Commander Lt-Gen Anupong Paochinda
and 3rd Army Region Commander Lt-Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr
, to the post of Assistant Army Commander.
Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin told Reuters news agency :"I can assure you it is impossible that we will control the government. [...] We will be the government's tool to keep peace."
In its 16th announcement, the CDR gave itself the role of parliament. On 22 September, the junta gave Police General Kowit Wattana
absolute power over all police matters and named him chair of a new National Police Commission to rewrite the 2004 National Police Bill.
. Pratheep Ungsongtham Hata, who was appointed to the reconciliation panel, also boycotted the CDR's advisory board, noting that as a democracy advocate, she could not work with the CDR, which took power by unconstitutional means. Pibhob Dhongchai, a leader of the defunct anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy
, said he could not participate in the reconciliation panel because he was a member of the National Economic and Social Advisory Council, and already had a channel to advise the government.
Pasuk Pongpaichit, an anti-Thaksin economist who had also been appointed, denied that she would serve as an advisor, using as her excuse an impending extended trip to Japan. However, some appointees welcomed their appointments, like Nakharin Mektrairat and Thawee Suraritthikul, the deans of the Faculty of Political Science of Thammasat and Sukhothai Thammathirat University, respectively. When asked by the press why the junta had not informed the appointees of their appointments, the CDR spokesman Lt-Gen Palangoon Klaharn said: "It is not necessary. Some matters are urgent. It is an honour to help the country. I believe that those who have been named will not reject the appointment because we haven't damaged their reputation."
, had the authority to freeze the assets of members and families of the Thaksin government accused of corruption and was composed of several figures who had been publicly critical of the Thaksin government, including Kaewsan Atibhoti, Jaruvan Maintaka
, Banjerd Singkaneti
, Klanarong Chantik, and Sak Korsaengruang.
A separate decree (No. 31) gave the NCCC the authority to freeze the assets of politicians who failed to report their financial status by a deadline or intentionally reported false information. Another decree (No. 27) increased the penalty for political party executives whose parties had been ordered dissolved, from simply banning them from forming or becoming executives of a new party, to stripping them of their electoral rights for five years.
will not take place as scheduled.
Sonthi confirmed a previous statement saying that Thaksin and the members of his cabinet have done no wrong and can return to Thailand. However, Privy Councilor
and top contender of appointment as interim Prime Minister General Surayud Chulanont
warned against Thaksin's return, calling his return a "threat."<
Sonthi said Thailand was and still is a democracy
and that tourists can continue to visit the country normally. The U.S. State Department has not issued a travel warning for Thailand, but has advised tourists to be vigilant.
On 20 September 2006, Thailand's Army chief and current interim leader, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, pledged to hold general elections by October 2007.
Many civilians were rumored to have been short-listed for appointment to figurehead Prime Minister. These included General Surayud Chulanont
(Privy Councilor
to King Bhumibol Adulyadej
), Akharathorn Chularat, (Chief Justice of the Supreme Administrative Court), and Pridiyathorn Devakula
, (Governor of the Bank of Thailand
), and Supachai Panitchpakdi
(Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
).
On 26 September 2006, junta leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin said that the junta would remain in place after the appointment of a civilian government, noting "It's necessary to keep the council so that there is no loophole for the executive branch."
Following the appointment of a new interim civilian government, the junta would be transformed into a permanent "Council of National Security". It will dissolve itself once the general election is held a year later.
.
Over 90% of Thais own a television and over 50% own a radio. For most Thais, TV and radio are the only source of daily news and information about the coup. Less than 20% of the population reads daily newspapers. As of 2004 Internet users made up less than 12% of the population nationwide, and 26% in the Bangkok area. The junta imposed and maintained censorship on television from the first day of the coup onwards. However, no newspaper publications were suppressed and censorship of the Internet did not start until several days after the coup.
On the evening of Tuesday 19 September, regular programmes on Thai television channels were replaced by video clips and music authored by the King. The next day, shortly after Sondhi's TV conference, all Thai channels were back on air under control of the ICT Ministry authorised to censor information.
On Thursday 21 September 2006, the CDR summoned media executives to Army Headquarters and ordered them to stop carrying expressions of public opinion. This included a ban against the common practice of broadcasting viewers' text messages
on a news ticker
. The junta did not say whether the ban would extend to newspaper editorials or internet web boards.
Thai television broadcasters did not air footage of demonstrations against the coup, including the first major protest on 22 September at Siam Square.
Local cable broadcasts of CNN
, BBC
, CNBC
, NHK
, and several other several other foreign news channels were censored, with any footage involving former Premier Thaksin
blacked out.
On Thursday September 21, 2006, The Guardian
disclosed that armed soldiers are sitting in every television news studio and control room. As of Thursday October 12, 2006, Suwanna Uyanan, vice president of the Thai Broadcasting Journalists Association, says that soldiers are still occupying Channel 11, where she works.
The nine members of Board of Directors of MCOT
, a privatised state-owned media company, resigned on 26 September with effect as of 27 September in order to take responsibility for allowing Thaksin Shinwatra to address the nation on MCOT-controlled Modernine TV (Channel 9).
On Thursday 21 September 2006, the CDR ordered more than 300 community radio stations in Chiang Mai
, Chiang Rai
, and Mae Hong Son
to suspend broadcasts. Community radio stations in Lamphun, Lampang, and Phayao were also ordered to turn their transmitters off. In addition, the pro-Thaksin Muan Chon Community Radio in Udon Thani stopped broadcasting on Wednesday. Police were stationed at the radio building as well as the office of Siang Tham Community Radio Station, owned by revered monk Luang Ta Maha Bua. Maha Bua had been a key supporter of the People's Alliance for Democracy
.
In response to the community radio ban, some station operators vowed to air only non political programmes. They promised self-censorship to ensure their programmes would not infringe against CDR rules. Others in the North initiated a signed pledge campaign that they would not become involved in politics and that their programming would be completely free of politics.
The websites of the leading Bangkok newspapers Bangkok Post
, The Nation
and Thai Rath
had been functioning normally and were reporting the coup. Both the Bangkok Post and The Nation had been strong critics of the deposed government. The Daily News
website included extensive photographic coverage of the military operations. On the morning of Wednesday, 20 September newspapers were available as usual.
On Saturday 23 September 2006, the CDR said they would "urgently retaliate against foreign reporters whose coverage has been deemed insulting to the monarchy." Numerous international news agencies speculated at the King's role in the coup (see Role and position of the King).
On September 21, during a meeting with internet service providers and operators of TV stations, radio stations and other ICT businesses, the ICT Ministry (ICT) asked webmasters to close political webboards found to contain provocative messages for 12 days. Kraisorn Pornsuthee, ICT Permanent Secretary said that websites and webboards will face permanent closure if such messages continue to appear, but that messages could be posted on webboards as long as they do not provoke any misunderstandings. The anti-coup website 19sep.org was shut down, but later relocated to the US. The official website of the Thai Rak Thai
party was also shut down.
On September 27, the ICT ministry confirmed that at least 10 websites were shut down for violating the junta's regulations.
The Midnight University website, a free scholarly resource and discussion board, was temporarily shut down after the management of Midnight University and scholars from Chiang Mai University
conducted a protest against the junta's draft interim charter. Somkiat Tangnamo, the webmaster of Midnight University, claimed the site contained 1,500 free scholarly articles and received 2.5 million visits per month. Kasian Tejapira of Thammasat University
claimed the website was "the foremost free and critical educational and public intellectual website in Thailand. The shutdown is not only a huge loss to academic and intellectual freedom in Thai society, but also the closure of a free forum for the contention of ideas so as to find a peaceful alternative to violent conflict in Thailand". Kraisorn Pornsuthee ICT Ministry permanent secretary said he did not know about the shutdown of the website and would ask for details from his officials.
In the second week after the coup, the Thai Rak Thai website was temporarily inaccessible, without indication if it was an act of censure or not. The Thaksin.com website used by Thaksin to receive mails and comments from his supporters and to promote himself was also inaccessible.
On April 8, 2005, a very popular political webboard "Rajdumnern" on www.pantip.com/cafe (Pantip) was suspended. At first, the ICT ministry claimed that the content on the webboard was a threat to national security and had some content that might be considered Lese Majeste
. However, the following day, the news was conflicting. The ICT ministry said that Pantip's webmaster suspended the service by itself because they were unable to control the content on the website. On the other hand, Pantip webmaster claimed that they received a phone call from member of ICT minister threatening to block the whole site if "Rajdumnern" was not closed down. At that time, on the first page of Rajdumneren, the Pantip webmaster posted a message saying that they had to close Rajdumnern due to the volatility of the situation. Further on April 10, 2005, the Rajdumnern webboard became active again. This time, the message from the webmaster said "after consulting with the ICT ministry, the principle of 'Free Speech' was upheld, thus allowing the criticizing of the work of the cabinet and CNS on the truth and responsible basis. [the webmaster] had considered that they are capable of controlling the content to within acceptable scope, therefore the 'Rajdumnern' webboard became active again."
along with hunger strike
r and former MP Thawee Kraikup at Democracy Monument while they were peacefully protesting against the coup.
The anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy
formally cancelled its scheduled rally for 20 September 2006 and later dissolved itself, after having reached its self-set goal of toppling the Thaksin government. The status of the Mass Party, established by PAD leaders, was not known.
Thailand's coup leaders Thursday banned political parties from holding meetings or from conducting any other activities, according to a statement read on national television. The junta also barred the establishment of new political parties.
"Political gatherings of more than five people have already been banned, but political activities can resume when normalcy is restored," the statement said.
In its 22nd Announcement, the junta ordered a complete ban on all political activities, including those at the local level like tambon administrative organizations and provincial administrative organisations.
Despite the bans, the organizers of the Thai Social Forum, a major nation-wide conference of 300 social and political activists, insisted that the meeting would continue to take place at Thammasat University's
Rangsit Center from 21-23 October. Jon Ungphakorn, an organizer said that the stress of the conference would be media reform and press freedom.
(in the North) were traveling via bus to attend a social function in Chonburi
(on the eastern coast) when they were stopped by soldiers at a checkpoint. The soldiers refused to allow the two busloads of teachers to continue because they failed to provide a permit from the Chiang Rai Army Commander for them to move in a group larger than five people.
Large groups travelling into Bangkok were required to seek authorization from their District Offices.
. For some analysts, the silence of both the King and Privy Council
President General Prem Tinsulanonda
on the day following the coup was taken as indicating support. Remarks made earlier in 2006 by Thaksin had been widely understood as a criticism of Prem's continued influence in Thai politics.
Royal endorsement is critical to establishing legitimacy for military rebellions - every successful coup over the past 60 years has been endorsed by King Bhumibol. Previous unendorsed coups in 1981 and 1985 failed after at most a few days. For background, see King Bhumibol's role in Thai politics.
On 14 July 2006, Privy Council
President Prem Tinsulanonda
addressed graduating cadets of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
, telling them that the Thai military must obey the orders of the King - not the Government. Prem was a harsh critic of Thaksin, comparing him to Adolf Hitler
.
At the time that Special Forces started mobilizing from Lopburi to Bangkok, Prem was having an audience with the King. This led to speculation outside Thailand that the King had advance knowledge of the coup, or even that he had executive control over it, although there was no direct evidence for this. The day after the coup, the King endorsed it and its leader. Given the extensive reserve powers retained by the King, this statement gave legitimacy to the coup and legal authority to Sonthi's position.
Some Thai analysts have said that the King must have at least been in favour of the coup. "The role of the king was critical in this crisis," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak
of Chulalongkorn University
, adding that "This coup was nothing short of Thaksin versus the King. He is widely seen as having implicitly endorsed the coup." Thitinan said he believed the King had allowed the coup to take place as it was the best option available. "What we were heading for otherwise was violence in the streets," he said.
Sulak Sivaraksa
, a well-known social critic, said, "Without his involvement, the coup would have been impossible." Sulak added that the King is "very skilful. He never becomes obviously involved. If this coup goes wrong, Sonthi
will get the blame, but whatever happens, the King will only get praise."
The Bangkok correspondent of The Australian
, Peter Alford, wrote: "The King's overriding commitment has always been to social stability… and by December last year, he had clearly lost any faith in Thaksin's capacity to govern without wedging the country apart… All Prem need do is refrain from criticising the coup… for almost all Thais to believe they know the King's will."
On April 13, 2008, the Asia Sentinel writes: "Never mind elections, the fate of Thaksin's proxy party could be decided, yet again, by Thailand's royalist judges and generals. Thailand's proxy war between loyalists to deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Bangkok's royalist elite is stirring once again, with the outcome as uncertain as ever."
.
Public support for the coup has been widely aired and published whilst public expression of opinion against the coup has been limited by the military control over the media, the ban on protests and political activity, and the arrest of some Cabinet members by the junta. Protest has also arisen from both pro- and anti- Thaksin supporters and is directed against the use of military power to resolve a political stalemate. Protest is also limited following the king's endorsement of the coup and the junta's use of a royal decree that legitimizes the coup. See also Censorship in Thailand
.
-party leaders in London and some of its top executives in detention, the reaction of the TRT has been minimal. Several former party leaders believe the party will have to be dissolved. Former Khon Kaen MP Prajak Kaewklaharn said "When we have no leader and no executives, the party cannot continue"
A former TRT MP from Udon Thani, Thirachai Saenkaew, called for the junta to allow party-leader Thaksin Shinawatra to contest the next election. Thirachai claimed that TRT supporters wanted Thaksin to return to politics after the political reform.
Former Udon Thani MP Theerachai Saenkaew said his constituents would still vote for Thaksin and his party at the next general election. "Following the normalisation of the political situation, democratic rule should move forward in accordance with the voice of the people," Theerachai said.
Former Sakon Nakhon MP Chalermchai Ulankul a member of a faction allied with Suchart Tancharoen, a key TRT figure said he and others might be unemployed for about a year. However, he said his group was "firm" and preparing to run in the election next year. "As long as the Thai Rak Thai Party is not dissolved, we can't say we will move to be under any other party. However, I don't know who will continue the TRT."
Nearly two weeks after the coup, TRT's deputy leader Sonthaya Kuenpluem and his 20-member faction resigned from the party. Somsak Thepsuthin, another TRT's deputy leader said he and his Wan Nam Yom faction which has about 80 members would also submit their resignation. The move comes after the CDR issued an order banning from political activities for five years all executive members of a party that has been dissolved. TRT is currently under investigation and could be dissolved for hiring smaller party during the April 2006 election.
On Tuesday 2 October ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and former Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusipitak resigned from Thai Rak Thai Party.
Reactions from grass-root supporters who lack political organisation have been muted. A woman who benefited from Thaksin populist policies
said "He gave me a chance to keep my daughter alive. He gave us food when we were in need. Now that he's been chased out, the poor have lost their closest friend.'"
On Wednesday, 20 September 2006, Suan Dusit Rajabhat University published the result of a poll of 2019 people. The results are that 84% support the coup d'état, and 75% believe the coup will "improve politics". Only 5% believe the coup will make politics worse. This should be contrasted with a nationwide poll taken in July that found that 49% of the people would vote for Thaksin's party in the now-cancelled October election. Starting Thursday 21 September, the junta ordered the media to stop publicizing the results of public opinion against the coup, which presumably includes public opinion polls.
Soldiers were heartened by the warm public response. A soldier who agreed with the coup although he said it wasn't democratic said "I talked to people protesting against Thaksin Shinawatra who said they could do anything and would sacrifice their lives. If that happened - and officers had to suppress the chaos - the loss would be greater". He added "We have our own democracy. We are all under His Majesty the King and people still have faith in the monarch. The military has a duty to protect the country, the religion and the King."
A group of lecturers and students from Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon briefly held a rally in front of Army headquarters to urge their counterparts from Chulalongkorn
and Thammasat Universities
not to be opposed to the coup. Many students from Chulalongkorn University also supported the coup.
The Campaign for Popular Democracy, which coordinates 32 civic groups, 6 universities and 169 NGOs, came out in support of the coup, as did several politicians, including former Senator Kraisak Choonhavan
. Kraisak, whose father Chatichai Choonhavan
had been deposed by a coup in 1991, said, "This is the first coup where I don't have to watch my back."
A demonstration also occurred in front of the UN Building in New York City in support of the coup.
said of the events, "As politicians, we do not support any kind of coup, but during the past five years, the government of Thaksin created several conditions that forced the military to stage the coup. Thaksin has caused the crisis in the country."
Anand Panyarachun
, one of Thailand's most respected intellectuals, head of drafting committee of the 1997 Constitution
, and former coup-installed Prime Minister, noted his criticism of the coup in an interview with the Far Eastern Economic Review
.
However, Anand later qualified his disapproval, by noting that "A coup d'état has a different meaning in the Thai context," and blaming the coup on Thaksin, "Over the past five years Thaksin and his party have become too powerful. They have consolidated their hold over the government machinery and certain sectors of the armed forces and parliament. So I think it's a more precarious situation."
Other prominent academics also voiced disapproval of the coup, including Pasuk Pongpaijitr, Chaiwat Satha-anand, and Giles Ungphakorn.
Leader of the Democrat Party
Abhisit Vejjajiva
voiced displeasure at the coup hours just before all political activities were banned:
Other Democrat Party leaders, like Chuan Leekpai
and Korn Chatikavanij
expressed displeasure over the coup, but blamed Thaksin.
Several student groups also stated disapproval at the coup. Signs were set up and demonstrations organized to protest it. However, no unified multi-university statement of disapproval was made.
Reports on the numbers, extent and nature of public demonstrations against the coup and the military government are often contingent on national media whose freedom of speech is limited by the censure imposed by the CDRM. Organised local opposition to the coup was muted by a junta ban against assemblies of more than 5 people. International protests against the coup were scattered, with anti-coup demonstrators protesting in front of the Thai Consulates in New York City
and Seoul
.
and former MP Thawee Kraikup held a protest against the junta at the Democracy Monument the day after the coup. Thawee held up a sign saying "Fasting
in Protest Against the Destroyer of Democracy." Military forces arrived soon afterwards and arrested Chalard at 12.30. Thawee refused to stop his protest and was arrested 3 hours later. Their fate is not known.
against the elected caretaker government
of Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra
. The coup d'état, which was Thailand
's first non-constitutional change of government in fifteen years, followed a year-long political crisis
involving Thaksin, his allies and political opponents and occurred less than a month before nation-wide House elections
were originally scheduled to be held. It has been widely reported in Thailand and elsewhere that General Prem Tinsulanonda
, Chairman of the Privy Council was the mastermind of the Coup. The military cancelled the upcoming elections, abrogated the Constitution
, dissolved Parliament
and Constitutional Court
, banned protest
s and all political activities, suppressed and censored
the media
, declared martial law
nationwide, and arrested Cabinet members.
The new rulers, led by general Sonthi Boonyaratglin
and organised in a Council for Democratic Reform (CDR), issued a pronunciamiento
on 21 September setting out their reasons for taking power and giving a commitment to restore democratic government within one year. However, the CDR also announced that after elections and the establishment of a democratic government, the council would be transformed into a permanent Council of National Security whose future role in Thai politics was not explained. The CNS later drafted an interim charter and appointed retired General Surayud Chulanont
as Premier. Martial law was lifted in 41 of Thailand's 76 provinces on 26 January 2007 but remained in place in another 35 provinces.
Elections were held on 23 December 2007, after a military-appointed tribunal outlawed the Thai Rak Thai
party of Thaksin Shinawatra
and banned TRT executives from contesting in elections for 5 years.
Planning for the coup started in approximately February 2006. Rumors about unrest in the armed forces and possible takeover plots unfurled for months leading to the pronunciamiento. In May 2006, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin
issued assurances that the military would not seize power. On 20 July 2006, around a hundred middle-ranking army officers said to be supporters of Thaksin
were reassigned by the army high command, fuelling rumors that the army was divided between supporters and opponents of the prime minister. In July 2006, 3rd Army Area Commander Saprang Kalayanamitr gave an interview where he stated that Thai politics was below standard and that the Kingdom's leadership was weak. He also claimed that Thailand had a false democracy. The public was becoming alarmed with each fresh rumor. On 15 July 2006 a democratic activist, Tavivoot Chulavachana, posted an open letter in Thailand's most popular political webboard, citing military sources, saying the military and Sondhi Limthongkul were conspiring to stage a takeover to rid the country of Thaksin, and then return power to the people—after a period of cleansing the country. In August 2006, there were reports of tank movements near Bangkok, but the military attributed these to a scheduled exercise. In early September, Thai police arrested five army officers, all members of Thailand's counter-insurgency command
, after intercepting one of the officers with a bomb in a car allegedly targeting the prime minister's residence. Three of the suspects were released after the coup.
In December 2006, former National Security Council head Prasong Soonsiri
claimed that he and five other senior military figures had been planning a coup as early as July. He claimed that Sonthi was one of those figures, but that Surayud and Prem were not involved at the time.
On the evening of 19 September 2006, the Thai military and police overthrew the elected government of Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra
. At the time, the premier was in New York City for a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly
.
The junta
initially called the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy
(CDRM) later took the name of Council for Democratic Reform to rule out suspicions about the role of the monarchy.
Foreign news channels, such as BBC World
, CNN
, CNBC
and Bloomberg Television
, were reported to have been taken off air, although foreign broadcasters were still able to broadcast from Bangkok. Telecommunications networks (telephone and the Internet) were operational.
The Army declared martial law
nationwide, ordered all soldiers to report to their barracks and banned troop movements unauthorised by the CDR. Television footage showed heavily armed troops in M113
armored personnel carriers and M998 HMMWV vehicles on the streets of the city. Many soldiers and military vehicles wore strips of yellow cloth as a symbol of loyalty to the king, whose royal color is yellow.
Junta commander Sonthi Boonyaratglin
confirmed that Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit
and Defence Minister Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya
had been arrested. High-ranked civil servants were ordered to report to the Council while government offices and banks would be closed on 20 September.
A few hours after news of the coup broke, BBC News
reported that the leader of the coup would be meeting with the King later in the day, although it was unclear at that time what King Bhumibol's position on the coup was.
Shortly after this announcement, Thai TV programmes resumed whilst cable TV partly resumed. However, main foreign news channels (CNN, BBC, CNBC, NHK and Bloomberg) remained blacked out.
The country's northern border with Laos
and Myanmar
was closed for a couple of days.
In an interview given before leaving New York for London with Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai
, spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee, and his personal assistant Padung Limcharoenrat, Thaksin Shinawatra said:
Thaksin was escorted to his home in Kensington
where he joined his daughter Pinthongta, who is studying in London. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said that Thaksin's trip was a private visit.
Late in the evening, a spokesman of the CDR announced that the king has issued a royal command to appoint Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin as the CDR president.
Contradicting earlier announcements, the CDR issued a 13th statement maintaining the status of the newly selected Election Commission and adding that the EC ACT would organize the election of local administrations and councils.
The Council for Democratic Reform then issued its seventh order dividing responsibilities into four divisions as part of responsibility sharing. The four divisions are the CDR, the secretariat, the advisory division, and the special affairs division.
The files and papers related to the investigation of the alleged car bomb plot against Mr Thaksin (24 August 2006) vanished from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) Tuesday night around 21:30. Police loyal to deputy police chief Pol Gen Priewphan Damapong (brother of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's wife Khunying Potjaman
) were also seen loading assault weapons from the CSD in vehicles that went off to an unknown destination.
In the afternoon, Thailand's coup leader ordered media executives to army headquarters to tell them to stop carrying expression of public opinion following the military takeover. The move came after the military imposed strict controls on the media and said they would block information deemed harmful to the provisional military council now in control of Thailand. The army official said the normal television programming will be resumed but the council would begin making its own televised announcements every two hours starting from 11:00 am (0400 GMT).
RTA Troops and tanks began the process of reducing their presence at key government facilities. Four tanks remained at Government House early Thursday, down from 10 the previous day, and fewer armed soldiers are on guard. "As of now we have only two companies of troops — some 50 to 60 — deployed at Government House but total withdrawal is up to the army commander because there is not yet complete trust in the situation," Lieutenant Romklao Thuwatham.
Thailand's coup leader ordered two more top aides, Newin Chidchob, the minister attached to the premier's office, and Yongyuth Tiyapairat, minister of natural resources and environment, to deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
to report to the military, one day after detaining his senior deputy. "They must report themselves to the Council for Political Reform at Army Headquarters" at noon (0500 GMT) Thursday, the order said, referring to the provisional body the coup leaders have set up.
Ousted deputy prime minister Somkid Jatusripitak arrived at the Don Muang International Airport returning from France.
The chartered Thai Airways jet that took ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra
to New York and later to London returned to the Don Muang Military Airport after being diverted from Bangkok's commercial airport. Onboard the plane were some 20 members of the press corps and low-ranking officials who had travelled with him. 10 heavily armed commandos immediately surrounded the plane and conducted an inspection. All were released after their passports were stamped.
Ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra called for new snap elections in his homeland and confirmed he is bowing out of politics, urging "national reconciliation" after the coup in Bangkok. In a statement issued in London, Thaksin said he will devote himself to development and possibly charity work.
at the Royal Plaza on Wednesday 20 September to trigger violence and then declare a state of emergency and place the country under martial law. General Sonthi would have learned from an intelligence report that Yongyuth Tiyapairat and Newin Chidchob were planning to organise a counter protest with the support of the Forestry Police
("Hunter Soldiers" or Rangers) armed with HK33 rifles and acted before the bloodshed was set to take place. On Friday, the Rangers were in the process of being disarmed. Both Newin and Yongyuth were later detained, the latter being accused of mobilizing the Forestry Police. Coup-planner Prasong Soonsiri
later denied that Thaksin planned his own coup.
However, fellow The Nation columnist Chang Noi called Thanong Khanthong's claims "a myth" that had "achieved the status of 'fact'." Chang Noi noted the absolute lack of any corroborating evidence to support the claims of imminent violence as well as the lack of opposing troop movements on the night of the coup. Chang Noi called the myth a "salve" for people "surprised and a little ashamed to find themselves supporting a coup. This myth makes the coup reactive and defensive." He also noted that General Saprang Kalayanamitr
, commander of the Third Army, claimed that planning for the coup had begun 7 months in advance, thus contradicting claims that the coup was executed as a reactive pre-emptive strike against violence and Sonthi's who had said "hundreds of thousands" of pro- and anti-Thaksin supporters planned to descend on Bangkok.
General Sonthi later said in an interview that the coup was originally planned for 20 September, to coincide with a major anti-Thaksin rally also planned for that day. He cited the "Portuguese example
" in which anti-government rallies coincided with a successful military rebellion which overthrew King Manuel II of Portugal
and established the Portuguese First Republic
. The coup was moved up to 19 September, when Thaksin was still in New York. Sonthi also stated that the coup was not an urgent measure mooted just a couple of days earlier. Sonthi also claimed that during a lunch that Thaksin had with the commanders of the armed forces, Thaksin had asked him "Will you stage a coup?" Sonthi replied: "I will." This contradicted earlier public statements where he denied that the military would stage a coup.
The Nation noted that the timing of the coup contains many instances of the number nine, a highly auspicious number in Thai numerology
. The coup occurred at the 19th day of the 9th month of Buddhist Era 2549. Coup leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin made a major public announcement on the morning after the coup at 9.39 am. The Nation earlier indicated 9:16 as the time for Sonthi's press conference and it should be noted that the Buddhist calendar
is in line with the Gregorian calendar
only since 1941.
Two months after the coup, the junta issued a white paper
identifying many reasons for the coup, including corruption, abuse of power, lack of integrity, interference in the checks and balances system, human rights violations, and destroying the unity of the people.
Independent analysts identified widely differing reasons for the coup. Thitinan Pongsudhirak
of Chulalongkorn University
alleged that the coup was due to conflicts between Thaksin and King Bhumibol Adulyadej
. Biographer Paul Handley noted that "[the coup masterminds] did not want Thaksin in a position to exert influence on the passing of the Chakri Dynasty mantle to Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn." Giles Ungpakorn of Chulalongkorn University
claimed that the coup was due to class conflicts between the rural poor (who supported Thaksin) and the urban elite (who supported the junta).
and interim Prime Minister General Surayud Chulanont
later warned against Thaksin's return, calling his return a "threat." "Myself and several other people understand that supporters and opponents will clash on the day that Thaksin returns home. It would be a big commotion," he said.
Deputy Premier Surakiart Sathirathai
was with Thaksin attending the UN General Assembly in New York when the military staged a coup on Tuesday against the prime minister. Surakiart was, at the time, in the hotly contested race to succeed UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
, a Thai official said. "The (new) Thai authorities have reaffirmed their support for Dr Surakiart's candidature for the UNSG," Thai ambassador to the United States Virasakdi Futrakul told AFP. "There's no change. He's still in the race." The former Deputy Premier had left for Bangkok after the Junta took power.
Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya
remained in Singapore where he was attending the annual meeting of the World Bank
/IMF
. Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak
remained in Paris
but returned to Bangkok on Thursday. Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon
flew from Paris, where he was attending the Thai-France Cultural Exhibition presided over by HRH Princess Sirindhorn
, to Germany, before returning to Bangkok.
Agriculture Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan
was reported to have fled to Paris with her family. Thai Rak Thai
party executive and former Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana left the country for Germany.
was arrested after the coup and detained at the Army Command. He was detained on Wednesday and is now being held at a guesthouse on the northern outskirts of Bangkok
, according to army spokesman Colonel Acar Tiproj. Defence Minister Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya
is in hiding. His whereabouts are unknown. Former Secretary-General to the Premier Prommin Lertsuridej
and Labor Ministry Permanent Secretary Somchai Wongsawat (who is Thaksin's brother-in-law) were also placed under arrest on the second floor of the Army Command building. The Secretary-General was last reported being detained at the same guesthouse as the Deputy Chitchai Wannasathit
.
Natural Resources and Environmental Minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat and Deputy Agriculture Minister Newin Chidchop
were ordered to report themselves to the junta by noon Thursday. The junta did not specify what punishment they would receive if they failed to report. At the time, there were reports that both Yongyuth and Newin were in London. Troops raided Yongyuth's houses in Mae Chan district of Chiang Rai province (at 10.35 Wednesday) and Bangkok (Wednesday night), but did not find him. Both Yongyuth and Newin reported themselves at Army Headquarters on Thursday, and were detained.
Chidchai Wannasathit, Newin Chidchop, Yongyuth Tiyapairat, and Prommin Lertsuridet were freed after the Interim Charter was promulgated. The status of Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya was unknown.
, Phumtham Wechayachai and Suranand Vejjajiva were reported to still be in Thailand and not arrested by the junta. TRT MP Veera Musikapong was also at liberty. Party Deputy and Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit
and former Social Development and Human Security Minister Watana Muangsook were reported to be staying in the country at an unidentified location.
. Several military officers were transferred to inactive posts. Also removed were 18 senior police officers which the junta claimed could pose a threat to national security if they were to remain in their current posts. For a list of transferred military and police officers, see Removal from the civil service by the CDR. In early February, Police Commissioner-General Kowit Wattana himself was ousted for investigating military involvement in the 2007 Bangkok bombings.
The purge was completed in the junta's mid-year military reshuffle of April 2007, when all senior officers perceived as loyal to the Thaksin government were removed and replaced with officers trusted by the new regime.
The junta affirmed on 20 September that along with the abolition of the Constitution, the Constitutional Court
and other independent organisations set up under the abrogated charter were automatically abolished. However, the status of Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka
was maintained by an order of the junta. The same order dissolved the State Audit Commission. She appeared when summoned along with senior government officials by the junta.
Surasit Sangkhapong, director of the Government Lottery Office and an aide of Thaksin resigned to allow Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka
to conduct an investigation into an allegation of irregularity.
Pol Col Priewphan Damapong, Deputy Police Commissioner-General and brother-in-law of Thaksin Shinawatra, reported himself to the national police chief in line with the junta's orders.
Thaksin's wife and son, initially reported as having left Thailand for Singapore ahead of the declaration of martial law, were later reported in Thailand. It was suggested they remained to look after the family's finances. On Monday 25 September Pojaman Shinawatra left Bangkok at 1:30 am (1830 GMT) to join her husband in London.
The 11th official announcement of the military regime outlined its leadership. It was composed of the leaders of all branches of the Thai military and police.
On 20 September 2006 (local time in Bangkok), the junta denied that it had appointed a Prime Minister, and noted that General Sonthi Boonyaratglin had the powers of a Premier.
A week after the coup, Sonthi's former classmate General Boonsrang Naimpradit was promoted from Deputy Supreme Commander to the post of Supreme Commander, replacing Ruangroj Mahasaranon
. Junta Secretary General, Winai Phattiyakul, was promoted to the post of Permanent Secretary for Defence.
Gen Sonthi also promoted his fellow classmates and lieutenants in the coup, 1st Army Region Commander Lt-Gen Anupong Paochinda
and 3rd Army Region Commander Lt-Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr
, to the post of Assistant Army Commander.
Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin told Reuters news agency :"I can assure you it is impossible that we will control the government. [...] We will be the government's tool to keep peace."
In its 16th announcement, the CDR gave itself the role of parliament. On 22 September, the junta gave Police General Kowit Wattana
absolute power over all police matters and named him chair of a new National Police Commission to rewrite the 2004 National Police Bill.
. Pratheep Ungsongtham Hata, who was appointed to the reconciliation panel, also boycotted the CDR's advisory board, noting that as a democracy advocate, she could not work with the CDR, which took power by unconstitutional means. Pibhob Dhongchai, a leader of the defunct anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy
, said he could not participate in the reconciliation panel because he was a member of the National Economic and Social Advisory Council, and already had a channel to advise the government.
Pasuk Pongpaichit, an anti-Thaksin economist who had also been appointed, denied that she would serve as an advisor, using as her excuse an impending extended trip to Japan. However, some appointees welcomed their appointments, like Nakharin Mektrairat and Thawee Suraritthikul, the deans of the Faculty of Political Science of Thammasat and Sukhothai Thammathirat University, respectively. When asked by the press why the junta had not informed the appointees of their appointments, the CDR spokesman Lt-Gen Palangoon Klaharn said: "It is not necessary. Some matters are urgent. It is an honour to help the country. I believe that those who have been named will not reject the appointment because we haven't damaged their reputation."
, had the authority to freeze the assets of members and families of the Thaksin government accused of corruption and was composed of several figures who had been publicly critical of the Thaksin government, including Kaewsan Atibhoti, Jaruvan Maintaka
, Banjerd Singkaneti
, Klanarong Chantik, and Sak Korsaengruang.
A separate decree (No. 31) gave the NCCC the authority to freeze the assets of politicians who failed to report their financial status by a deadline or intentionally reported false information. Another decree (No. 27) increased the penalty for political party executives whose parties had been ordered dissolved, from simply banning them from forming or becoming executives of a new party, to stripping them of their electoral rights for five years.
will not take place as scheduled.
Sonthi confirmed a previous statement saying that Thaksin and the members of his cabinet have done no wrong and can return to Thailand. However, Privy Councilor
and top contender of appointment as interim Prime Minister General Surayud Chulanont
warned against Thaksin's return, calling his return a "threat."<
Sonthi said Thailand was and still is a democracy
and that tourists can continue to visit the country normally. The U.S. State Department has not issued a travel warning for Thailand, but has advised tourists to be vigilant.
On 20 September 2006, Thailand's Army chief and current interim leader, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, pledged to hold general elections by October 2007.
Many civilians were rumored to have been short-listed for appointment to figurehead Prime Minister. These included General Surayud Chulanont
(Privy Councilor
to King Bhumibol Adulyadej
), Akharathorn Chularat, (Chief Justice of the Supreme Administrative Court), and Pridiyathorn Devakula
, (Governor of the Bank of Thailand
), and Supachai Panitchpakdi
(Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
).
On 26 September 2006, junta leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin said that the junta would remain in place after the appointment of a civilian government, noting "It's necessary to keep the council so that there is no loophole for the executive branch."
Following the appointment of a new interim civilian government, the junta would be transformed into a permanent "Council of National Security". It will dissolve itself once the general election is held a year later.
.
Over 90% of Thais own a television and over 50% own a radio. For most Thais, TV and radio are the only source of daily news and information about the coup. Less than 20% of the population reads daily newspapers. As of 2004 Internet users made up less than 12% of the population nationwide, and 26% in the Bangkok area. The junta imposed and maintained censorship on television from the first day of the coup onwards. However, no newspaper publications were suppressed and censorship of the Internet did not start until several days after the coup.
On the evening of Tuesday 19 September, regular programmes on Thai television channels were replaced by video clips and music authored by the King. The next day, shortly after Sondhi's TV conference, all Thai channels were back on air under control of the ICT Ministry authorised to censor information.
On Thursday 21 September 2006, the CDR summoned media executives to Army Headquarters and ordered them to stop carrying expressions of public opinion. This included a ban against the common practice of broadcasting viewers' text messages
on a news ticker
. The junta did not say whether the ban would extend to newspaper editorials or internet web boards.
Thai television broadcasters did not air footage of demonstrations against the coup, including the first major protest on 22 September at Siam Square.
Local cable broadcasts of CNN
, BBC
, CNBC
, NHK
, and several other several other foreign news channels were censored, with any footage involving former Premier Thaksin
blacked out.
On Thursday September 21, 2006, The Guardian
disclosed that armed soldiers are sitting in every television news studio and control room. As of Thursday October 12, 2006, Suwanna Uyanan, vice president of the Thai Broadcasting Journalists Association, says that soldiers are still occupying Channel 11, where she works.
The nine members of Board of Directors of MCOT
, a privatised state-owned media company, resigned on 26 September with effect as of 27 September in order to take responsibility for allowing Thaksin Shinwatra to address the nation on MCOT-controlled Modernine TV (Channel 9).
On Thursday 21 September 2006, the CDR ordered more than 300 community radio stations in Chiang Mai
, Chiang Rai
, and Mae Hong Son
to suspend broadcasts. Community radio stations in Lamphun, Lampang, and Phayao were also ordered to turn their transmitters off. In addition, the pro-Thaksin Muan Chon Community Radio in Udon Thani stopped broadcasting on Wednesday. Police were stationed at the radio building as well as the office of Siang Tham Community Radio Station, owned by revered monk Luang Ta Maha Bua. Maha Bua had been a key supporter of the People's Alliance for Democracy
.
In response to the community radio ban, some station operators vowed to air only non political programmes. They promised self-censorship to ensure their programmes would not infringe against CDR rules. Others in the North initiated a signed pledge campaign that they would not become involved in politics and that their programming would be completely free of politics.
The websites of the leading Bangkok newspapers Bangkok Post
, The Nation
and Thai Rath
had been functioning normally and were reporting the coup. Both the Bangkok Post and The Nation had been strong critics of the deposed government. The Daily News
website included extensive photographic coverage of the military operations. On the morning of Wednesday, 20 September newspapers were available as usual.
On Saturday 23 September 2006, the CDR said they would "urgently retaliate against foreign reporters whose coverage has been deemed insulting to the monarchy." Numerous international news agencies speculated at the King's role in the coup (see Role and position of the King).
On September 21, during a meeting with internet service providers and operators of TV stations, radio stations and other ICT businesses, the ICT Ministry (ICT) asked webmasters to close political webboards found to contain provocative messages for 12 days. Kraisorn Pornsuthee, ICT Permanent Secretary said that websites and webboards will face permanent closure if such messages continue to appear, but that messages could be posted on webboards as long as they do not provoke any misunderstandings. The anti-coup website 19sep.org was shut down, but later relocated to the US. The official website of the Thai Rak Thai
party was also shut down.
On September 27, the ICT ministry confirmed that at least 10 websites were shut down for violating the junta's regulations.
The Midnight University website, a free scholarly resource and discussion board, was temporarily shut down after the management of Midnight University and scholars from Chiang Mai University
conducted a protest against the junta's draft interim charter. Somkiat Tangnamo, the webmaster of Midnight University, claimed the site contained 1,500 free scholarly articles and received 2.5 million visits per month. Kasian Tejapira of Thammasat University
claimed the website was "the foremost free and critical educational and public intellectual website in Thailand. The shutdown is not only a huge loss to academic and intellectual freedom in Thai society, but also the closure of a free forum for the contention of ideas so as to find a peaceful alternative to violent conflict in Thailand". Kraisorn Pornsuthee ICT Ministry permanent secretary said he did not know about the shutdown of the website and would ask for details from his officials.
In the second week after the coup, the Thai Rak Thai website was temporarily inaccessible, without indication if it was an act of censure or not. The Thaksin.com website used by Thaksin to receive mails and comments from his supporters and to promote himself was also inaccessible.
On April 8, 2005, a very popular political webboard "Rajdumnern" on www.pantip.com/cafe (Pantip) was suspended. At first, the ICT ministry claimed that the content on the webboard was a threat to national security and had some content that might be considered Lese Majeste
. However, the following day, the news was conflicting. The ICT ministry said that Pantip's webmaster suspended the service by itself because they were unable to control the content on the website. On the other hand, Pantip webmaster claimed that they received a phone call from member of ICT minister threatening to block the whole site if "Rajdumnern" was not closed down. At that time, on the first page of Rajdumneren, the Pantip webmaster posted a message saying that they had to close Rajdumnern due to the volatility of the situation. Further on April 10, 2005, the Rajdumnern webboard became active again. This time, the message from the webmaster said "after consulting with the ICT ministry, the principle of 'Free Speech' was upheld, thus allowing the criticizing of the work of the cabinet and CNS on the truth and responsible basis. [the webmaster] had considered that they are capable of controlling the content to within acceptable scope, therefore the 'Rajdumnern' webboard became active again."
along with hunger strike
r and former MP Thawee Kraikup at Democracy Monument while they were peacefully protesting against the coup.
The anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy
formally cancelled its scheduled rally for 20 September 2006 and later dissolved itself, after having reached its self-set goal of toppling the Thaksin government. The status of the Mass Party, established by PAD leaders, was not known.
Thailand's coup leaders Thursday banned political parties from holding meetings or from conducting any other activities, according to a statement read on national television. The junta also barred the establishment of new political parties.
"Political gatherings of more than five people have already been banned, but political activities can resume when normalcy is restored," the statement said.
In its 22nd Announcement, the junta ordered a complete ban on all political activities, including those at the local level like tambon administrative organizations and provincial administrative organisations.
Despite the bans, the organizers of the Thai Social Forum, a major nation-wide conference of 300 social and political activists, insisted that the meeting would continue to take place at Thammasat University's
Rangsit Center from 21-23 October. Jon Ungphakorn, an organizer said that the stress of the conference would be media reform and press freedom.
(in the North) were traveling via bus to attend a social function in Chonburi
(on the eastern coast) when they were stopped by soldiers at a checkpoint. The soldiers refused to allow the two busloads of teachers to continue because they failed to provide a permit from the Chiang Rai Army Commander for them to move in a group larger than five people.
Large groups travelling into Bangkok were required to seek authorization from their District Offices.
. For some analysts, the silence of both the King and Privy Council
President General Prem Tinsulanonda
on the day following the coup was taken as indicating support. Remarks made earlier in 2006 by Thaksin had been widely understood as a criticism of Prem's continued influence in Thai politics.
Royal endorsement is critical to establishing legitimacy for military rebellions - every successful coup over the past 60 years has been endorsed by King Bhumibol. Previous unendorsed coups in 1981 and 1985 failed after at most a few days. For background, see King Bhumibol's role in Thai politics.
On 14 July 2006, Privy Council
President Prem Tinsulanonda
addressed graduating cadets of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
, telling them that the Thai military must obey the orders of the King - not the Government. Prem was a harsh critic of Thaksin, comparing him to Adolf Hitler
.
At the time that Special Forces started mobilizing from Lopburi to Bangkok, Prem was having an audience with the King. This led to speculation outside Thailand that the King had advance knowledge of the coup, or even that he had executive control over it, although there was no direct evidence for this. The day after the coup, the King endorsed it and its leader. Given the extensive reserve powers retained by the King, this statement gave legitimacy to the coup and legal authority to Sonthi's position.
Some Thai analysts have said that the King must have at least been in favour of the coup. "The role of the king was critical in this crisis," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak
of Chulalongkorn University
, adding that "This coup was nothing short of Thaksin versus the King. He is widely seen as having implicitly endorsed the coup." Thitinan said he believed the King had allowed the coup to take place as it was the best option available. "What we were heading for otherwise was violence in the streets," he said.
Sulak Sivaraksa
, a well-known social critic, said, "Without his involvement, the coup would have been impossible." Sulak added that the King is "very skilful. He never becomes obviously involved. If this coup goes wrong, Sonthi
will get the blame, but whatever happens, the King will only get praise."
The Bangkok correspondent of The Australian
, Peter Alford, wrote: "The King's overriding commitment has always been to social stability… and by December last year, he had clearly lost any faith in Thaksin's capacity to govern without wedging the country apart… All Prem need do is refrain from criticising the coup… for almost all Thais to believe they know the King's will."
On April 13, 2008, the Asia Sentinel writes: "Never mind elections, the fate of Thaksin's proxy party could be decided, yet again, by Thailand's royalist judges and generals. Thailand's proxy war between loyalists to deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Bangkok's royalist elite is stirring once again, with the outcome as uncertain as ever."
.
Public support for the coup has been widely aired and published whilst public expression of opinion against the coup has been limited by the military control over the media, the ban on protests and political activity, and the arrest of some Cabinet members by the junta. Protest has also arisen from both pro- and anti- Thaksin supporters and is directed against the use of military power to resolve a political stalemate. Protest is also limited following the king's endorsement of the coup and the junta's use of a royal decree that legitimizes the coup. See also Censorship in Thailand
.
-party leaders in London and some of its top executives in detention, the reaction of the TRT has been minimal. Several former party leaders believe the party will have to be dissolved. Former Khon Kaen MP Prajak Kaewklaharn said "When we have no leader and no executives, the party cannot continue"
A former TRT MP from Udon Thani, Thirachai Saenkaew, called for the junta to allow party-leader Thaksin Shinawatra to contest the next election. Thirachai claimed that TRT supporters wanted Thaksin to return to politics after the political reform.
Former Udon Thani MP Theerachai Saenkaew said his constituents would still vote for Thaksin and his party at the next general election. "Following the normalisation of the political situation, democratic rule should move forward in accordance with the voice of the people," Theerachai said.
Former Sakon Nakhon MP Chalermchai Ulankul a member of a faction allied with Suchart Tancharoen, a key TRT figure said he and others might be unemployed for about a year. However, he said his group was "firm" and preparing to run in the election next year. "As long as the Thai Rak Thai Party is not dissolved, we can't say we will move to be under any other party. However, I don't know who will continue the TRT."
Nearly two weeks after the coup, TRT's deputy leader Sonthaya Kuenpluem and his 20-member faction resigned from the party. Somsak Thepsuthin, another TRT's deputy leader said he and his Wan Nam Yom faction which has about 80 members would also submit their resignation. The move comes after the CDR issued an order banning from political activities for five years all executive members of a party that has been dissolved. TRT is currently under investigation and could be dissolved for hiring smaller party during the April 2006 election.
On Tuesday 2 October ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and former Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusipitak resigned from Thai Rak Thai Party.
Reactions from grass-root supporters who lack political organisation have been muted. A woman who benefited from Thaksin populist policies
said "He gave me a chance to keep my daughter alive. He gave us food when we were in need. Now that he's been chased out, the poor have lost their closest friend.'"
On Wednesday, 20 September 2006, Suan Dusit Rajabhat University published the result of a poll of 2019 people. The results are that 84% support the coup d'état, and 75% believe the coup will "improve politics". Only 5% believe the coup will make politics worse. This should be contrasted with a nationwide poll taken in July that found that 49% of the people would vote for Thaksin's party in the now-cancelled October election. Starting Thursday 21 September, the junta ordered the media to stop publicizing the results of public opinion against the coup, which presumably includes public opinion polls.
Soldiers were heartened by the warm public response. A soldier who agreed with the coup although he said it wasn't democratic said "I talked to people protesting against Thaksin Shinawatra who said they could do anything and would sacrifice their lives. If that happened - and officers had to suppress the chaos - the loss would be greater". He added "We have our own democracy. We are all under His Majesty the King and people still have faith in the monarch. The military has a duty to protect the country, the religion and the King."
A group of lecturers and students from Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon briefly held a rally in front of Army headquarters to urge their counterparts from Chulalongkorn
and Thammasat Universities
not to be opposed to the coup. Many students from Chulalongkorn University also supported the coup.
The Campaign for Popular Democracy, which coordinates 32 civic groups, 6 universities and 169 NGOs, came out in support of the coup, as did several politicians, including former Senator Kraisak Choonhavan
. Kraisak, whose father Chatichai Choonhavan
had been deposed by a coup in 1991, said, "This is the first coup where I don't have to watch my back."
A demonstration also occurred in front of the UN Building in New York City in support of the coup.
Former prime minister Chuan Leekpai
said of the events, "As politicians, we do not support any kind of coup, but during the past five years, the government of Thaksin created several conditions that forced the military to stage the coup. Thaksin has caused the crisis in the country."
Anand Panyarachun
, one of Thailand's most respected intellectuals, head of drafting committee of the 1997 Constitution
, and former coup-installed Prime Minister, noted his criticism of the coup in an interview with the Far Eastern Economic Review
.
However, Anand later qualified his disapproval, by noting that "A coup d'état has a different meaning in the Thai context," and blaming the coup on Thaksin, "Over the past five years Thaksin and his party have become too powerful. They have consolidated their hold over the government machinery and certain sectors of the armed forces and parliament. So I think it's a more precarious situation."
Other prominent academics also voiced disapproval of the coup, including Pasuk Pongpaijitr, Chaiwat Satha-anand, and Giles Ungphakorn.
Leader of the Democrat Party
Abhisit Vejjajiva
voiced displeasure at the coup hours just before all political activities were banned:
Other Democrat Party leaders, like Chuan Leekpai
and Korn Chatikavanij
expressed displeasure over the coup, but blamed Thaksin.
Several student groups also stated disapproval at the coup. Signs were set up and demonstrations organized to protest it. However, no unified multi-university statement of disapproval was made.
Reports on the numbers, extent and nature of public demonstrations against the coup and the military government are often contingent on national media whose freedom of speech is limited by the censure imposed by the CDRM. Organised local opposition to the coup was muted by a junta ban against assemblies of more than 5 people. International protests against the coup were scattered, with anti-coup demonstrators protesting in front of the Thai Consulates in New York City
and Seoul
.
and former MP Thawee Kraikup held a protest against the junta at the Democracy Monument the day after the coup. Thawee held up a sign saying "Fasting
in Protest Against the Destroyer of Democracy." Military forces arrived soon afterwards and arrested Chalard at 12.30. Thawee refused to stop his protest and was arrested 3 hours later. Their fate is not known.
against the elected caretaker government
of Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra
. The coup d'état, which was Thailand
's first non-constitutional change of government in fifteen years, followed a year-long political crisis
involving Thaksin, his allies and political opponents and occurred less than a month before nation-wide House elections
were originally scheduled to be held. It has been widely reported in Thailand and elsewhere that General Prem Tinsulanonda
, Chairman of the Privy Council was the mastermind of the Coup. The military cancelled the upcoming elections, abrogated the Constitution
, dissolved Parliament
and Constitutional Court
, banned protest
s and all political activities, suppressed and censored
the media
, declared martial law
nationwide, and arrested Cabinet members.
The new rulers, led by general Sonthi Boonyaratglin
and organised in a Council for Democratic Reform (CDR), issued a pronunciamiento
on 21 September setting out their reasons for taking power and giving a commitment to restore democratic government within one year. However, the CDR also announced that after elections and the establishment of a democratic government, the council would be transformed into a permanent Council of National Security whose future role in Thai politics was not explained. The CNS later drafted an interim charter and appointed retired General Surayud Chulanont
as Premier. Martial law was lifted in 41 of Thailand's 76 provinces on 26 January 2007 but remained in place in another 35 provinces.
Elections were held on 23 December 2007, after a military-appointed tribunal outlawed the Thai Rak Thai
party of Thaksin Shinawatra
and banned TRT executives from contesting in elections for 5 years.
Planning for the coup started in approximately February 2006. Rumors about unrest in the armed forces and possible takeover plots unfurled for months leading to the pronunciamiento. In May 2006, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin
issued assurances that the military would not seize power. On 20 July 2006, around a hundred middle-ranking army officers said to be supporters of Thaksin
were reassigned by the army high command, fuelling rumors that the army was divided between supporters and opponents of the prime minister. In July 2006, 3rd Army Area Commander Saprang Kalayanamitr gave an interview where he stated that Thai politics was below standard and that the Kingdom's leadership was weak. He also claimed that Thailand had a false democracy. The public was becoming alarmed with each fresh rumor. On 15 July 2006 a democratic activist, Tavivoot Chulavachana, posted an open letter in Thailand's most popular political webboard, citing military sources, saying the military and Sondhi Limthongkul were conspiring to stage a takeover to rid the country of Thaksin, and then return power to the people—after a period of cleansing the country. In August 2006, there were reports of tank movements near Bangkok, but the military attributed these to a scheduled exercise. In early September, Thai police arrested five army officers, all members of Thailand's counter-insurgency command
, after intercepting one of the officers with a bomb in a car allegedly targeting the prime minister's residence. Three of the suspects were released after the coup.
In December 2006, former National Security Council head Prasong Soonsiri
claimed that he and five other senior military figures had been planning a coup as early as July. He claimed that Sonthi was one of those figures, but that Surayud and Prem were not involved at the time.
On the evening of 19 September 2006, the Thai military and police overthrew the elected government of Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra
. At the time, the premier was in New York City for a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly
.
The junta
initially called the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy
(CDRM) later took the name of Council for Democratic Reform to rule out suspicions about the role of the monarchy.
Foreign news channels, such as BBC World
, CNN
, CNBC
and Bloomberg Television
, were reported to have been taken off air, although foreign broadcasters were still able to broadcast from Bangkok. Telecommunications networks (telephone and the Internet) were operational.
The Army declared martial law
nationwide, ordered all soldiers to report to their barracks and banned troop movements unauthorised by the CDR. Television footage showed heavily armed troops in M113
armored personnel carriers and M998 HMMWV vehicles on the streets of the city. Many soldiers and military vehicles wore strips of yellow cloth as a symbol of loyalty to the king, whose royal color is yellow.
Junta commander Sonthi Boonyaratglin
confirmed that Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit
and Defence Minister Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya
had been arrested. High-ranked civil servants were ordered to report to the Council while government offices and banks would be closed on 20 September.
A few hours after news of the coup broke, BBC News
reported that the leader of the coup would be meeting with the King later in the day, although it was unclear at that time what King Bhumibol's position on the coup was.
Shortly after this announcement, Thai TV programmes resumed whilst cable TV partly resumed. However, main foreign news channels (CNN, BBC, CNBC, NHK and Bloomberg) remained blacked out.
The country's northern border with Laos
and Myanmar
was closed for a couple of days.
In an interview given before leaving New York for London with Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai
, spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee, and his personal assistant Padung Limcharoenrat, Thaksin Shinawatra said:
Thaksin was escorted to his home in Kensington
where he joined his daughter Pinthongta, who is studying in London. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said that Thaksin's trip was a private visit.
Late in the evening, a spokesman of the CDR announced that the king has issued a royal command to appoint Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin as the CDR president.
Contradicting earlier announcements, the CDR issued a 13th statement maintaining the status of the newly selected Election Commission and adding that the EC ACT would organize the election of local administrations and councils.
The Council for Democratic Reform then issued its seventh order dividing responsibilities into four divisions as part of responsibility sharing. The four divisions are the CDR, the secretariat, the advisory division, and the special affairs division.
The files and papers related to the investigation of the alleged car bomb plot against Mr Thaksin (24 August 2006) vanished from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) Tuesday night around 21:30. Police loyal to deputy police chief Pol Gen Priewphan Damapong (brother of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's wife Khunying Potjaman
) were also seen loading assault weapons from the CSD in vehicles that went off to an unknown destination.
In the afternoon, Thailand's coup leader ordered media executives to army headquarters to tell them to stop carrying expression of public opinion following the military takeover. The move came after the military imposed strict controls on the media and said they would block information deemed harmful to the provisional military council now in control of Thailand. The army official said the normal television programming will be resumed but the council would begin making its own televised announcements every two hours starting from 11:00 am (0400 GMT).
RTA Troops and tanks began the process of reducing their presence at key government facilities. Four tanks remained at Government House early Thursday, down from 10 the previous day, and fewer armed soldiers are on guard. "As of now we have only two companies of troops — some 50 to 60 — deployed at Government House but total withdrawal is up to the army commander because there is not yet complete trust in the situation," Lieutenant Romklao Thuwatham.
Thailand's coup leader ordered two more top aides, Newin Chidchob, the minister attached to the premier's office, and Yongyuth Tiyapairat, minister of natural resources and environment, to deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
to report to the military, one day after detaining his senior deputy. "They must report themselves to the Council for Political Reform at Army Headquarters" at noon (0500 GMT) Thursday, the order said, referring to the provisional body the coup leaders have set up.
Ousted deputy prime minister Somkid Jatusripitak arrived at the Don Muang International Airport returning from France.
The chartered Thai Airways jet that took ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra
to New York and later to London returned to the Don Muang Military Airport after being diverted from Bangkok's commercial airport. Onboard the plane were some 20 members of the press corps and low-ranking officials who had travelled with him. 10 heavily armed commandos immediately surrounded the plane and conducted an inspection. All were released after their passports were stamped.
Ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra called for new snap elections in his homeland and confirmed he is bowing out of politics, urging "national reconciliation" after the coup in Bangkok. In a statement issued in London, Thaksin said he will devote himself to development and possibly charity work.
at the Royal Plaza on Wednesday 20 September to trigger violence and then declare a state of emergency and place the country under martial law. General Sonthi would have learned from an intelligence report that Yongyuth Tiyapairat and Newin Chidchob were planning to organise a counter protest with the support of the Forestry Police
("Hunter Soldiers" or Rangers) armed with HK33 rifles and acted before the bloodshed was set to take place. On Friday, the Rangers were in the process of being disarmed. Both Newin and Yongyuth were later detained, the latter being accused of mobilizing the Forestry Police. Coup-planner Prasong Soonsiri
later denied that Thaksin planned his own coup.
However, fellow The Nation columnist Chang Noi called Thanong Khanthong's claims "a myth" that had "achieved the status of 'fact'." Chang Noi noted the absolute lack of any corroborating evidence to support the claims of imminent violence as well as the lack of opposing troop movements on the night of the coup. Chang Noi called the myth a "salve" for people "surprised and a little ashamed to find themselves supporting a coup. This myth makes the coup reactive and defensive." He also noted that General Saprang Kalayanamitr
, commander of the Third Army, claimed that planning for the coup had begun 7 months in advance, thus contradicting claims that the coup was executed as a reactive pre-emptive strike against violence and Sonthi's who had said "hundreds of thousands" of pro- and anti-Thaksin supporters planned to descend on Bangkok.
General Sonthi later said in an interview that the coup was originally planned for 20 September, to coincide with a major anti-Thaksin rally also planned for that day. He cited the "Portuguese example
" in which anti-government rallies coincided with a successful military rebellion which overthrew King Manuel II of Portugal
and established the Portuguese First Republic
. The coup was moved up to 19 September, when Thaksin was still in New York. Sonthi also stated that the coup was not an urgent measure mooted just a couple of days earlier. Sonthi also claimed that during a lunch that Thaksin had with the commanders of the armed forces, Thaksin had asked him "Will you stage a coup?" Sonthi replied: "I will." This contradicted earlier public statements where he denied that the military would stage a coup.
The Nation noted that the timing of the coup contains many instances of the number nine, a highly auspicious number in Thai numerology
. The coup occurred at the 19th day of the 9th month of Buddhist Era 2549. Coup leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin made a major public announcement on the morning after the coup at 9.39 am. The Nation earlier indicated 9:16 as the time for Sonthi's press conference and it should be noted that the Buddhist calendar
is in line with the Gregorian calendar
only since 1941.
Two months after the coup, the junta issued a white paper
identifying many reasons for the coup, including corruption, abuse of power, lack of integrity, interference in the checks and balances system, human rights violations, and destroying the unity of the people.
Independent analysts identified widely differing reasons for the coup. Thitinan Pongsudhirak
of Chulalongkorn University
alleged that the coup was due to conflicts between Thaksin and King Bhumibol Adulyadej
. Biographer Paul Handley noted that "[the coup masterminds] did not want Thaksin in a position to exert influence on the passing of the Chakri Dynasty mantle to Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn." Giles Ungpakorn of Chulalongkorn University
claimed that the coup was due to class conflicts between the rural poor (who supported Thaksin) and the urban elite (who supported the junta).
and interim Prime Minister General Surayud Chulanont
later warned against Thaksin's return, calling his return a "threat." "Myself and several other people understand that supporters and opponents will clash on the day that Thaksin returns home. It would be a big commotion," he said.
Deputy Premier Surakiart Sathirathai
was with Thaksin attending the UN General Assembly in New York when the military staged a coup on Tuesday against the prime minister. Surakiart was, at the time, in the hotly contested race to succeed UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
, a Thai official said. "The (new) Thai authorities have reaffirmed their support for Dr Surakiart's candidature for the UNSG," Thai ambassador to the United States Virasakdi Futrakul told AFP. "There's no change. He's still in the race." The former Deputy Premier had left for Bangkok after the Junta took power.
Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya
remained in Singapore where he was attending the annual meeting of the World Bank
/IMF
. Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak
remained in Paris
but returned to Bangkok on Thursday. Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon
flew from Paris, where he was attending the Thai-France Cultural Exhibition presided over by HRH Princess Sirindhorn
, to Germany, before returning to Bangkok.
Agriculture Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan
was reported to have fled to Paris with her family. Thai Rak Thai
party executive and former Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana left the country for Germany.
was arrested after the coup and detained at the Army Command. He was detained on Wednesday and is now being held at a guesthouse on the northern outskirts of Bangkok
, according to army spokesman Colonel Acar Tiproj. Defence Minister Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya
is in hiding. His whereabouts are unknown. Former Secretary-General to the Premier Prommin Lertsuridej
and Labor Ministry Permanent Secretary Somchai Wongsawat (who is Thaksin's brother-in-law) were also placed under arrest on the second floor of the Army Command building. The Secretary-General was last reported being detained at the same guesthouse as the Deputy Chitchai Wannasathit
.
Natural Resources and Environmental Minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat and Deputy Agriculture Minister Newin Chidchop
were ordered to report themselves to the junta by noon Thursday. The junta did not specify what punishment they would receive if they failed to report. At the time, there were reports that both Yongyuth and Newin were in London. Troops raided Yongyuth's houses in Mae Chan district of Chiang Rai province (at 10.35 Wednesday) and Bangkok (Wednesday night), but did not find him. Both Yongyuth and Newin reported themselves at Army Headquarters on Thursday, and were detained.
Chidchai Wannasathit, Newin Chidchop, Yongyuth Tiyapairat, and Prommin Lertsuridet were freed after the Interim Charter was promulgated. The status of Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya was unknown.
, Phumtham Wechayachai and Suranand Vejjajiva were reported to still be in Thailand and not arrested by the junta. TRT MP Veera Musikapong was also at liberty. Party Deputy and Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit
and former Social Development and Human Security Minister Watana Muangsook were reported to be staying in the country at an unidentified location.
. Several military officers were transferred to inactive posts. Also removed were 18 senior police officers which the junta claimed could pose a threat to national security if they were to remain in their current posts. For a list of transferred military and police officers, see Removal from the civil service by the CDR. In early February, Police Commissioner-General Kowit Wattana himself was ousted for investigating military involvement in the 2007 Bangkok bombings.
The purge was completed in the junta's mid-year military reshuffle of April 2007, when all senior officers perceived as loyal to the Thaksin government were removed and replaced with officers trusted by the new regime.
The junta affirmed on 20 September that along with the abolition of the Constitution, the Constitutional Court
and other independent organisations set up under the abrogated charter were automatically abolished. However, the status of Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka
was maintained by an order of the junta. The same order dissolved the State Audit Commission. She appeared when summoned along with senior government officials by the junta.
Surasit Sangkhapong, director of the Government Lottery Office and an aide of Thaksin resigned to allow Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka
to conduct an investigation into an allegation of irregularity.
Pol Col Priewphan Damapong, Deputy Police Commissioner-General and brother-in-law of Thaksin Shinawatra, reported himself to the national police chief in line with the junta's orders.
Thaksin's wife and son, initially reported as having left Thailand for Singapore ahead of the declaration of martial law, were later reported in Thailand. It was suggested they remained to look after the family's finances. On Monday 25 September Pojaman Shinawatra left Bangkok at 1:30 am (1830 GMT) to join her husband in London.
The 11th official announcement of the military regime outlined its leadership. It was composed of the leaders of all branches of the Thai military and police.
On 20 September 2006 (local time in Bangkok), the junta denied that it had appointed a Prime Minister, and noted that General Sonthi Boonyaratglin had the powers of a Premier.
A week after the coup, Sonthi's former classmate General Boonsrang Naimpradit was promoted from Deputy Supreme Commander to the post of Supreme Commander, replacing Ruangroj Mahasaranon
. Junta Secretary General, Winai Phattiyakul, was promoted to the post of Permanent Secretary for Defence.
Gen Sonthi also promoted his fellow classmates and lieutenants in the coup, 1st Army Region Commander Lt-Gen Anupong Paochinda
and 3rd Army Region Commander Lt-Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr
, to the post of Assistant Army Commander.
Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin told Reuters news agency :"I can assure you it is impossible that we will control the government. [...] We will be the government's tool to keep peace."
In its 16th announcement, the CDR gave itself the role of parliament. On 22 September, the junta gave Police General Kowit Wattana
absolute power over all police matters and named him chair of a new National Police Commission to rewrite the 2004 National Police Bill.
. Pratheep Ungsongtham Hata, who was appointed to the reconciliation panel, also boycotted the CDR's advisory board, noting that as a democracy advocate, she could not work with the CDR, which took power by unconstitutional means. Pibhob Dhongchai, a leader of the defunct anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy
, said he could not participate in the reconciliation panel because he was a member of the National Economic and Social Advisory Council, and already had a channel to advise the government.
Pasuk Pongpaichit, an anti-Thaksin economist who had also been appointed, denied that she would serve as an advisor, using as her excuse an impending extended trip to Japan. However, some appointees welcomed their appointments, like Nakharin Mektrairat and Thawee Suraritthikul, the deans of the Faculty of Political Science of Thammasat and Sukhothai Thammathirat University, respectively. When asked by the press why the junta had not informed the appointees of their appointments, the CDR spokesman Lt-Gen Palangoon Klaharn said: "It is not necessary. Some matters are urgent. It is an honour to help the country. I believe that those who have been named will not reject the appointment because we haven't damaged their reputation."
, had the authority to freeze the assets of members and families of the Thaksin government accused of corruption and was composed of several figures who had been publicly critical of the Thaksin government, including Kaewsan Atibhoti, Jaruvan Maintaka
, Banjerd Singkaneti
, Klanarong Chantik, and Sak Korsaengruang.
A separate decree (No. 31) gave the NCCC the authority to freeze the assets of politicians who failed to report their financial status by a deadline or intentionally reported false information. Another decree (No. 27) increased the penalty for political party executives whose parties had been ordered dissolved, from simply banning them from forming or becoming executives of a new party, to stripping them of their electoral rights for five years.
will not take place as scheduled.
Sonthi confirmed a previous statement saying that Thaksin and the members of his cabinet have done no wrong and can return to Thailand. However, Privy Councilor
and top contender of appointment as interim Prime Minister General Surayud Chulanont
warned against Thaksin's return, calling his return a "threat."<
Sonthi said Thailand was and still is a democracy
and that tourists can continue to visit the country normally. The U.S. State Department has not issued a travel warning for Thailand, but has advised tourists to be vigilant.
On 20 September 2006, Thailand's Army chief and current interim leader, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, pledged to hold general elections by October 2007.
Many civilians were rumored to have been short-listed for appointment to figurehead Prime Minister. These included General Surayud Chulanont
(Privy Councilor
to King Bhumibol Adulyadej
), Akharathorn Chularat, (Chief Justice of the Supreme Administrative Court), and Pridiyathorn Devakula
, (Governor of the Bank of Thailand
), and Supachai Panitchpakdi
(Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
).
On 26 September 2006, junta leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin said that the junta would remain in place after the appointment of a civilian government, noting "It's necessary to keep the council so that there is no loophole for the executive branch."
Following the appointment of a new interim civilian government, the junta would be transformed into a permanent "Council of National Security". It will dissolve itself once the general election is held a year later.
.
Over 90% of Thais own a television and over 50% own a radio. For most Thais, TV and radio are the only source of daily news and information about the coup. Less than 20% of the population reads daily newspapers. As of 2004 Internet users made up less than 12% of the population nationwide, and 26% in the Bangkok area. The junta imposed and maintained censorship on television from the first day of the coup onwards. However, no newspaper publications were suppressed and censorship of the Internet did not start until several days after the coup.
On the evening of Tuesday 19 September, regular programmes on Thai television channels were replaced by video clips and music authored by the King. The next day, shortly after Sondhi's TV conference, all Thai channels were back on air under control of the ICT Ministry authorised to censor information.
On Thursday 21 September 2006, the CDR summoned media executives to Army Headquarters and ordered them to stop carrying expressions of public opinion. This included a ban against the common practice of broadcasting viewers' text messages
on a news ticker
. The junta did not say whether the ban would extend to newspaper editorials or internet web boards.
Thai television broadcasters did not air footage of demonstrations against the coup, including the first major protest on 22 September at Siam Square.
Local cable broadcasts of CNN
, BBC
, CNBC
, NHK
, and several other several other foreign news channels were censored, with any footage involving former Premier Thaksin
blacked out.
On Thursday September 21, 2006, The Guardian
disclosed that armed soldiers are sitting in every television news studio and control room. As of Thursday October 12, 2006, Suwanna Uyanan, vice president of the Thai Broadcasting Journalists Association, says that soldiers are still occupying Channel 11, where she works.
The nine members of Board of Directors of MCOT
, a privatised state-owned media company, resigned on 26 September with effect as of 27 September in order to take responsibility for allowing Thaksin Shinwatra to address the nation on MCOT-controlled Modernine TV (Channel 9).
On Thursday 21 September 2006, the CDR ordered more than 300 community radio stations in Chiang Mai
, Chiang Rai
, and Mae Hong Son
to suspend broadcasts. Community radio stations in Lamphun, Lampang, and Phayao were also ordered to turn their transmitters off. In addition, the pro-Thaksin Muan Chon Community Radio in Udon Thani stopped broadcasting on Wednesday. Police were stationed at the radio building as well as the office of Siang Tham Community Radio Station, owned by revered monk Luang Ta Maha Bua. Maha Bua had been a key supporter of the People's Alliance for Democracy
.
In response to the community radio ban, some station operators vowed to air only non political programmes. They promised self-censorship to ensure their programmes would not infringe against CDR rules. Others in the North initiated a signed pledge campaign that they would not become involved in politics and that their programming would be completely free of politics.
The websites of the leading Bangkok newspapers Bangkok Post
, The Nation
and Thai Rath
had been functioning normally and were reporting the coup. Both the Bangkok Post and The Nation had been strong critics of the deposed government. The Daily News
website included extensive photographic coverage of the military operations. On the morning of Wednesday, 20 September newspapers were available as usual.
On Saturday 23 September 2006, the CDR said they would "urgently retaliate against foreign reporters whose coverage has been deemed insulting to the monarchy." Numerous international news agencies speculated at the King's role in the coup (see Role and position of the King).
On September 21, during a meeting with internet service providers and operators of TV stations, radio stations and other ICT businesses, the ICT Ministry (ICT) asked webmasters to close political webboards found to contain provocative messages for 12 days. Kraisorn Pornsuthee, ICT Permanent Secretary said that websites and webboards will face permanent closure if such messages continue to appear, but that messages could be posted on webboards as long as they do not provoke any misunderstandings. The anti-coup website 19sep.org was shut down, but later relocated to the US. The official website of the Thai Rak Thai
party was also shut down.
On September 27, the ICT ministry confirmed that at least 10 websites were shut down for violating the junta's regulations.
The Midnight University website, a free scholarly resource and discussion board, was temporarily shut down after the management of Midnight University and scholars from Chiang Mai University
conducted a protest against the junta's draft interim charter. Somkiat Tangnamo, the webmaster of Midnight University, claimed the site contained 1,500 free scholarly articles and received 2.5 million visits per month. Kasian Tejapira of Thammasat University
claimed the website was "the foremost free and critical educational and public intellectual website in Thailand. The shutdown is not only a huge loss to academic and intellectual freedom in Thai society, but also the closure of a free forum for the contention of ideas so as to find a peaceful alternative to violent conflict in Thailand". Kraisorn Pornsuthee ICT Ministry permanent secretary said he did not know about the shutdown of the website and would ask for details from his officials.
In the second week after the coup, the Thai Rak Thai website was temporarily inaccessible, without indication if it was an act of censure or not. The Thaksin.com website used by Thaksin to receive mails and comments from his supporters and to promote himself was also inaccessible.
On April 8, 2005, a very popular political webboard "Rajdumnern" on www.pantip.com/cafe (Pantip) was suspended. At first, the ICT ministry claimed that the content on the webboard was a threat to national security and had some content that might be considered Lese Majeste
. However, the following day, the news was conflicting. The ICT ministry said that Pantip's webmaster suspended the service by itself because they were unable to control the content on the website. On the other hand, Pantip webmaster claimed that they received a phone call from member of ICT minister threatening to block the whole site if "Rajdumnern" was not closed down. At that time, on the first page of Rajdumneren, the Pantip webmaster posted a message saying that they had to close Rajdumnern due to the volatility of the situation. Further on April 10, 2005, the Rajdumnern webboard became active again. This time, the message from the webmaster said "after consulting with the ICT ministry, the principle of 'Free Speech' was upheld, thus allowing the criticizing of the work of the cabinet and CNS on the truth and responsible basis. [the webmaster] had considered that they are capable of controlling the content to within acceptable scope, therefore the 'Rajdumnern' webboard became active again."
along with hunger strike
r and former MP Thawee Kraikup at Democracy Monument while they were peacefully protesting against the coup.
The anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy
formally cancelled its scheduled rally for 20 September 2006 and later dissolved itself, after having reached its self-set goal of toppling the Thaksin government. The status of the Mass Party, established by PAD leaders, was not known.
Thailand's coup leaders Thursday banned political parties from holding meetings or from conducting any other activities, according to a statement read on national television. The junta also barred the establishment of new political parties.
"Political gatherings of more than five people have already been banned, but political activities can resume when normalcy is restored," the statement said.
In its 22nd Announcement, the junta ordered a complete ban on all political activities, including those at the local level like tambon administrative organizations and provincial administrative organisations.
Despite the bans, the organizers of the Thai Social Forum, a major nation-wide conference of 300 social and political activists, insisted that the meeting would continue to take place at Thammasat University's
Rangsit Center from 21-23 October. Jon Ungphakorn, an organizer said that the stress of the conference would be media reform and press freedom.
(in the North) were traveling via bus to attend a social function in Chonburi
(on the eastern coast) when they were stopped by soldiers at a checkpoint. The soldiers refused to allow the two busloads of teachers to continue because they failed to provide a permit from the Chiang Rai Army Commander for them to move in a group larger than five people.
Large groups travelling into Bangkok were required to seek authorization from their District Offices.
. For some analysts, the silence of both the King and Privy Council
President General Prem Tinsulanonda
on the day following the coup was taken as indicating support. Remarks made earlier in 2006 by Thaksin had been widely understood as a criticism of Prem's continued influence in Thai politics.
Royal endorsement is critical to establishing legitimacy for military rebellions - every successful coup over the past 60 years has been endorsed by King Bhumibol. Previous unendorsed coups in 1981 and 1985 failed after at most a few days. For background, see King Bhumibol's role in Thai politics.
On 14 July 2006, Privy Council
President Prem Tinsulanonda
addressed graduating cadets of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
, telling them that the Thai military must obey the orders of the King - not the Government. Prem was a harsh critic of Thaksin, comparing him to Adolf Hitler
.
At the time that Special Forces started mobilizing from Lopburi to Bangkok, Prem was having an audience with the King. This led to speculation outside Thailand that the King had advance knowledge of the coup, or even that he had executive control over it, although there was no direct evidence for this. The day after the coup, the King endorsed it and its leader. Given the extensive reserve powers retained by the King, this statement gave legitimacy to the coup and legal authority to Sonthi's position.
Some Thai analysts have said that the King must have at least been in favour of the coup. "The role of the king was critical in this crisis," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak
of Chulalongkorn University
, adding that "This coup was nothing short of Thaksin versus the King. He is widely seen as having implicitly endorsed the coup." Thitinan said he believed the King had allowed the coup to take place as it was the best option available. "What we were heading for otherwise was violence in the streets," he said.
Sulak Sivaraksa
, a well-known social critic, said, "Without his involvement, the coup would have been impossible." Sulak added that the King is "very skilful. He never becomes obviously involved. If this coup goes wrong, Sonthi
will get the blame, but whatever happens, the King will only get praise."
The Bangkok correspondent of The Australian
, Peter Alford, wrote: "The King's overriding commitment has always been to social stability… and by December last year, he had clearly lost any faith in Thaksin's capacity to govern without wedging the country apart… All Prem need do is refrain from criticising the coup… for almost all Thais to believe they know the King's will."
On April 13, 2008, the Asia Sentinel writes: "Never mind elections, the fate of Thaksin's proxy party could be decided, yet again, by Thailand's royalist judges and generals. Thailand's proxy war between loyalists to deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Bangkok's royalist elite is stirring once again, with the outcome as uncertain as ever."
.
Public support for the coup has been widely aired and published whilst public expression of opinion against the coup has been limited by the military control over the media, the ban on protests and political activity, and the arrest of some Cabinet members by the junta. Protest has also arisen from both pro- and anti- Thaksin supporters and is directed against the use of military power to resolve a political stalemate. Protest is also limited following the king's endorsement of the coup and the junta's use of a royal decree that legitimizes the coup. See also Censorship in Thailand
.
-party leaders in London and some of its top executives in detention, the reaction of the TRT has been minimal. Several former party leaders believe the party will have to be dissolved. Former Khon Kaen MP Prajak Kaewklaharn said "When we have no leader and no executives, the party cannot continue"
A former TRT MP from Udon Thani, Thirachai Saenkaew, called for the junta to allow party-leader Thaksin Shinawatra to contest the next election. Thirachai claimed that TRT supporters wanted Thaksin to return to politics after the political reform.
Former Udon Thani MP Theerachai Saenkaew said his constituents would still vote for Thaksin and his party at the next general election. "Following the normalisation of the political situation, democratic rule should move forward in accordance with the voice of the people," Theerachai said.
Former Sakon Nakhon MP Chalermchai Ulankul a member of a faction allied with Suchart Tancharoen, a key TRT figure said he and others might be unemployed for about a year. However, he said his group was "firm" and preparing to run in the election next year. "As long as the Thai Rak Thai Party is not dissolved, we can't say we will move to be under any other party. However, I don't know who will continue the TRT."
Nearly two weeks after the coup, TRT's deputy leader Sonthaya Kuenpluem and his 20-member faction resigned from the party. Somsak Thepsuthin, another TRT's deputy leader said he and his Wan Nam Yom faction which has about 80 members would also submit their resignation. The move comes after the CDR issued an order banning from political activities for five years all executive members of a party that has been dissolved. TRT is currently under investigation and could be dissolved for hiring smaller party during the April 2006 election.
On Tuesday 2 October ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and former Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusipitak resigned from Thai Rak Thai Party.
Reactions from grass-root supporters who lack political organisation have been muted. A woman who benefited from Thaksin populist policies
said "He gave me a chance to keep my daughter alive. He gave us food when we were in need. Now that he's been chased out, the poor have lost their closest friend.'"
On Wednesday, 20 September 2006, Suan Dusit Rajabhat University published the result of a poll of 2019 people. The results are that 84% support the coup d'état, and 75% believe the coup will "improve politics". Only 5% believe the coup will make politics worse. This should be contrasted with a nationwide poll taken in July that found that 49% of the people would vote for Thaksin's party in the now-cancelled October election. Starting Thursday 21 September, the junta ordered the media to stop publicizing the results of public opinion against the coup, which presumably includes public opinion polls.
Soldiers were heartened by the warm public response. A soldier who agreed with the coup although he said it wasn't democratic said "I talked to people protesting against Thaksin Shinawatra who said they could do anything and would sacrifice their lives. If that happened - and officers had to suppress the chaos - the loss would be greater". He added "We have our own democracy. We are all under His Majesty the King and people still have faith in the monarch. The military has a duty to protect the country, the religion and the King."
A group of lecturers and students from Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon briefly held a rally in front of Army headquarters to urge their counterparts from Chulalongkorn
and Thammasat Universities
not to be opposed to the coup. Many students from Chulalongkorn University also supported the coup.
The Campaign for Popular Democracy, which coordinates 32 civic groups, 6 universities and 169 NGOs, came out in support of the coup, as did several politicians, including former Senator Kraisak Choonhavan
. Kraisak, whose father Chatichai Choonhavan
had been deposed by a coup in 1991, said, "This is the first coup where I don't have to watch my back."
A demonstration also occurred in front of the UN Building in New York City in support of the coup.
Former prime minister Chuan Leekpai
said of the events, "As politicians, we do not support any kind of coup, but during the past five years, the government of Thaksin created several conditions that forced the military to stage the coup. Thaksin has caused the crisis in the country."
Anand Panyarachun
, one of Thailand's most respected intellectuals, head of drafting committee of the 1997 Constitution
, and former coup-installed Prime Minister, noted his criticism of the coup in an interview with the Far Eastern Economic Review
.
However, Anand later qualified his disapproval, by noting that "A coup d'état has a different meaning in the Thai context," and blaming the coup on Thaksin, "Over the past five years Thaksin and his party have become too powerful. They have consolidated their hold over the government machinery and certain sectors of the armed forces and parliament. So I think it's a more precarious situation."
Other prominent academics also voiced disapproval of the coup, including Pasuk Pongpaijitr, Chaiwat Satha-anand, and Giles Ungphakorn.
Leader of the Democrat Party
Abhisit Vejjajiva
voiced displeasure at the coup hours just before all political activities were banned:
Other Democrat Party leaders, like Chuan Leekpai
and Korn Chatikavanij
expressed displeasure over the coup, but blamed Thaksin.
Several student groups also stated disapproval at the coup. Signs were set up and demonstrations organized to protest it. However, no unified multi-university statement of disapproval was made.
Reports on the numbers, extent and nature of public demonstrations against the coup and the military government are often contingent on national media whose freedom of speech is limited by the censure imposed by the CDRM. Organised local opposition to the coup was muted by a junta ban against assemblies of more than 5 people. International protests against the coup were scattered, with anti-coup demonstrators protesting in front of the Thai Consulates in New York City
and Seoul
.
and former MP Thawee Kraikup held a protest against the junta at the Democracy Monument the day after the coup. Thawee held up a sign saying "Fasting
in Protest Against the Destroyer of Democracy." Military forces arrived soon afterwards and arrested Chalard at 12.30. Thawee refused to stop his protest and was arrested 3 hours later. Their fate is not known.
The first public protest after the coup attracted between 20 and 100 protesters in front of Siam Center
on the evening of Friday 22 September 2006. Nobody was arrested but police recorded the protest on video and noted that the tape would be examined to determine if protesters broke martial law. It is unknown whether the police or junta will arrest those it had recorded. Demonstrators wore black to mourn the death of democracy, and urged people who opposed the coup to also wear black. Protester Giles Ungphakorn noted, "We believe we speak for a significant number of Thais who are too worried or too afraid to speak." The protest was not reported on Thai television channels.The Independent
reported that when the first protester, a female student, began reading out a statement, armed police forced their way through the crowd and grabbed her. A police officer jabbed a gun into her stomach and told her: "You're coming with us." The protesters tried to hold the woman back, but her fate is unknown.
. The protest included a political discussion on "Why we must resist the coup", and was organized by the "Dome Daeng (Red Dome)" group of Thammasat University
, the "Chula
Students for Liberty" group, and students from Mahidol
, Ramkhamhaeng and Kasetsart
universities and King Mongkut's Institute of Technology
. "The choice in our world is not just between Thaksin or tanks," said Arunwana Sanitkawathee, a protesting Thammasat
journalism student. The one-hour rally featured a banner mocking the "Council of Demented and Ridiculous Military". There were no uniformed police, but several intelligence officers were present and recorded the event on video.
on 27 September 2006. A protest was also held in Chiang Mai
on 28 September 2006. On 2 October 2006, several dozen students and labor representatives demonstrated in front of Army Headquarters and burned the junta's Interim Constitution
. On 6 October, the protest continues at Thammasat University
and On 14 October, hundreds of protesters went to gather around the Democracy momument.
and in front of the Democracy Monument. The group demanded the immediate revival of the 1997 constitution and a new election. Protestors included Weng Tojirakarn, Sant Hathirat and former senator Prateep Ungsongtham-Hata. Roadblocks were set up across the country to prevent protestors from heading to Bangkok. A group of 41 would-be protestors were stopped by police - their names were taken down and they were "encouraged" to head back home. A smaller group protested the coup and junta at Thammasat University
.
, was also set up at the PetitionOnline website to urge the junta not to arrest or harm protesters. Several influential figures have signed the petition so far, including Kasian Tejapira of Thammasat University
, Viroj Na Ranong of the TDRI
, and Duncan McCargo of the University of Leeds
.
, gave qualified support to the coup. It noted that "the likes of Thaksin should be rejected at the ballot box or through public pressure in the form of peaceful protests." However, under the circumstances in Thailand, it said the coup "may be a necessary evil."
Thanaphol Eiwsakul, editor of Fah Diew Kan magazine (which had been censored by the Thaksin government), urged the public to resist the coup by exercising their right to protest coups as guaranteed by Article 65 of the 1997 Constitution. He vowed to stage a protest on Thursday, 21 September 2006.
The Campaign for Popular Media Reform criticized the military for media censorship stationing soldiers outside media outlets. "Our standpoint is, we still believe that the military have no right, they should not give any order to shut down any media, even those [community] radio stations."
In a statement issued on 25 September the Thai Journalists Association and the Broadcast Journalists Association did not condemn the coup, nor did it protest the junta's orders restricting freedom of the press. However, it urged the junta to transfer power back to the people as soon as possible and give the promised interim government a free hand to run the country. It also urged the junta to ensure that the promised constitution gave similar rights to the abrogated 1997 People's Constitution and also to allow the public to participate in its drafting, as the 1997 Constitution was.
, stated in an interview:
His remark was criticized by Suwit Lertkraimethi, an organizer of the 19 September Network against Coup d'Etat
, who noted, "His role is to protect human rights, but his statement showed his approval of human-rights violations." Suwit demanded Saneh's resignation from the NHRC.
The Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission
was critical of the coup. "The Asian Human Rights Commission is gravely disturbed by this takeover of power. It has no place in Thailand at a time that parliamentary democracy, despite difficulties, was maturing and taking root." The Commission called on the military to appoint a caretaker civilian government swiftly and on the United Nations General Assembly
to condemn the coup. Later, the Commission called for the junta to release the 4 Cabinet members who the junta had arrested and detained without charges beyond the 7-day period allowed by Thai martial law provisions. In October the group set up a webpage contrasting commitments given by the coup group with what it had actually done.
New York-based Human Rights Watch
was also critical of the coup. "Thaksin's rule had seriously eroded respect for human rights in Thailand, but suspending basic rights under the constitution is not the answer," said Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch. "Thailand needs to solve its problems through the rule of law and the people exercising their right to choose their own leaders."
The Thailand Union for Civil Liberty was also critical of the coup. In a formal statement, it noted that the coup was destructive to the democratic system and would result in serious human rights infractions. The Association demanded that the junta respect human rights, involve public participation to draft a constitution that protected human rights at least as well as the abrogated 1997 Constitution, and hold speedy elections.
Amnesty International
demanded that the junta must uphold human rights. "No one should be penalised for their peaceful exercise of the rights of freedom of expression, association or assembly," the London-based group said in a statement. Amnesty also called for the junta to "comply with Thailand's obligations under international human rights law."
On Monday 25 September, 20 academics and human right activists submitted a petition to the junta to request that they cancel restrictions that violate basic human rights. They also called for all sectors of the public to take part in the drafting of a new constitution.
would hold peace talks with separatist insurgents. Before the coup, Sonthi had suggested negotiations with insurgents, to much government criticism. However, up until 16 September, the Army admitted it didn't know who to negotiate with.
After a brief lull, violence resumed 2 days after the coup, when two villagers were shot in Yala. On 23 September, 4 policemen were injured in a bus stop bombing on a road to be travelled by Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn later that afternoon. Then on 25 September, 2 police stations and a military outpost were attacked by 30 gunmen in a coordinated series of attacks.
The United States
said "There's no justification for a military coup in Thailand or in anyplace else, and we certainly are extremely disappointed by this action." It later noted that it would like to see elections held earlier than the one-year timetable set by the coup leaders. The United States later cut off $24 million in military aid although funding for humanitarian purposes would continue.
United Nations Secretary-General
Kofi Annan
noted that "I don't have the details but this is not a practice to be encouraged." He also said, "As the African Union
, for example, has indicated, they do not support those who come to power through the barrel of a gun." The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights later noted that the coup contravened human rights conventions and urged the junta to "to ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and reinstate the country's human rights commission."
noted that the coup would not solve any problems, that its purpose was to prevent an election victory by the Thai Rak Thai party, and that it undid a decade's worth of democratic progress. It also noted how the general lack of international condemnation for the coup might embold military leaders or reinforce authoritative tendencies in neighbouring countries. The New York Times also criticized the coup, noting that Thailand, a former exemplary leader of democracy, was now sidestepping constitutional processes to achieve political ends.
, linked to Thaksin, and its units declined. The SET
Index dropped 9.99, or 1.4 percent, to 692.57 at the 4:30 p.m. close in Bangkok. About six stocks fell for every one that rose at the exchange, with 43 billion baht ($1.1 billion) changing hands. That was the most since 51 billion baht in shares traded on April 5, the day after Thaksin said he would step down to end a political crisis. The SET
rose 3.1 percent that day.
The SET
Index fell 29.64 points, or 4.2% to 702.63 in the first minutes of trading Thursday to its lowest intraday level since July 21. But quickly bounced back, suggesting the coup would do no greater damage. Merrill Lynch
said "This time investors should be encouraged by the fact that the uncertainty surrounding Thaksin's tenure has been removed." and kept its "overweight" rating on Thai stocks. Foreign Institutions with JPM
leading is net buy 7,393 million baht ($200 million) in this day. After the previous coup, in February 1991, the SET
tumbled 7.3% on the first day of trading before rallying 24% in the next two months.
experienced the biggest loss in almost three years after the military seized control of Bangkok and Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra declared a state of emergency. The baht fell 1.3 percent to 37.77 per dollar at 5:06 p.m. in New York, from 37.29 late on Sept. 18, the biggest decline since Oct. 14, 2003. The baht trimmed losses after falling by as much as 1.8 percent on speculation King Bhumibol Adulyadej
will resolve the crisis.
The baht rebounded in the following day as investors bet the coup would break a political deadlock that had stalled public works spending. The currency rose the most in more than eight months after army chief Sondhi Boonyarataklin took power without bloodshed and pledged to hold elections in October 2007. The baht rose 1 percent to 37.38 per dollar at 2:30 p.m. in Bangkok. "This represents a buying opportunity as it removes the political roadblock from the economy," said Richard Yetsenga, a currency strategist at HSBC
Holdings Plc in Hong Kong. "The coup is as calm as you could possibly expect."
said "Formal negotiations were suspended pending the elections that had been anticipated later this year and we had assumed that the formal negotiations would resume in December".
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
against the elected caretaker government
Caretaker government
Caretaker government is a type of government that rules temporarily. A caretaker government is often set up following a war until stable democratic rule can be restored, or installed, in which case it is often referred to as a provisional government...
of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Thailand
The Prime Minister of Thailand is the head of government of Thailand. The Prime Minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Revolution of 1932, when the country became a constitutional monarchy....
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
. The coup d'état, which was Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
's first non-constitutional change of government in fifteen years, followed a year-long political crisis
Thailand political crisis 2005-2006
In 2005 and 2006, a series of events occurred in Thailand as a result of an unrest with Thaksin Shinawatra that was supported by Sondhi Limthongkul and his coalitions...
involving Thaksin, his allies and political opponents and occurred less than a month before nation-wide House elections
Thailand legislative election, October 2006
After Thailand's April 2006 elections were declared invalid by the Constitutional Court, it was decided that new elections would be held on 15 October 2006...
were originally scheduled to be held. It has been widely reported in Thailand and elsewhere that General Prem Tinsulanonda
Prem Tinsulanonda
General Prem Tinsulanonda is a retired Thai military officer who served as Prime Minister of Thailand from March 3, 1980 to August 4, 1988. He now serves as the Head of the Privy Council of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej....
, Chairman of the Privy Council was the mastermind of the Coup. The military cancelled the upcoming elections, abrogated the Constitution
Constitution of Thailand
The Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand is the supreme law of Thailand. Since the change from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional democracy in 1932, Thailand has had 17 charters and constitutions, reflecting the high degree of political instability and frequency of military coups faced...
, dissolved Parliament
National Assembly of Thailand
The National Assembly of Thailand or the Parliament of Thailand is the legislative branch of the government of Thailand. The National Assembly of Thailand is a bicameral body, consisting of two chambers: the upper house, , and the lower house,...
and Constitutional Court
Constitutional Court of Thailand
The Constitutional Court of Thailand is an independent Thai court originally established under the 1997 Constitution with jurisdiction over the constitutionality of parliamentary acts, royal decrees, draft legislation, as well as the appointment and removal of public officials and issues regarding...
, banned protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
s and all political activities, suppressed and censored
Censorship in Thailand
Freedom of speech in Thailand was guaranteed in the articles 39, 40, 41 in the 1997 Constitution.According to those articles, censorship may be imposed to preserve national security, maintain public order, preserve the rights of others, protect public morals, and prevent criticism of the royal...
the media
Media of Thailand
Thailand has a well-developed media sector, especially by Southeast Asian standards. Compared to other countries in the region, the Thai media have historically been relatively free, although the government has always exercised considerable control, especially over broadcast media...
, declared martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
nationwide, and arrested Cabinet members.
The new rulers, led by general Sonthi Boonyaratglin
Sonthi Boonyaratglin
General Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
and organised in a Council for Democratic Reform (CDR), issued a pronunciamiento
Pronunciamiento
A pronunciamiento is a form of military rebellion or coup d'état peculiar to Spain and the Spanish American republics, particularly in the 19th century...
on 21 September setting out their reasons for taking power and giving a commitment to restore democratic government within one year. However, the CDR also announced that after elections and the establishment of a democratic government, the council would be transformed into a permanent Council of National Security whose future role in Thai politics was not explained. The CNS later drafted an interim charter and appointed retired General Surayud Chulanont
Surayud Chulanont
General Surayud Chulanont is a Thai political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's Interim Government between 2006 and 2008...
as Premier. Martial law was lifted in 41 of Thailand's 76 provinces on 26 January 2007 but remained in place in another 35 provinces.
Elections were held on 23 December 2007, after a military-appointed tribunal outlawed the Thai Rak Thai
Thai Rak Thai
The Thai Rak Thai Party was a Thai political party that was officially banned on May 30, 2007, by the Constitutional Court of Thailand due to violations of electoral laws during the 2006 legislative elections. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under Prime Minister and its founder Thaksin...
party of Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
and banned TRT executives from contesting in elections for 5 years.
Earlier planning and rumours
Sonthi Boonyaratglin
General Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
issued assurances that the military would not seize power. On 20 July 2006, around a hundred middle-ranking army officers said to be supporters of Thaksin
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
were reassigned by the army high command, fuelling rumors that the army was divided between supporters and opponents of the prime minister. In July 2006, 3rd Army Area Commander Saprang Kalayanamitr gave an interview where he stated that Thai politics was below standard and that the Kingdom's leadership was weak. He also claimed that Thailand had a false democracy. The public was becoming alarmed with each fresh rumor. On 15 July 2006 a democratic activist, Tavivoot Chulavachana, posted an open letter in Thailand's most popular political webboard, citing military sources, saying the military and Sondhi Limthongkul were conspiring to stage a takeover to rid the country of Thaksin, and then return power to the people—after a period of cleansing the country. In August 2006, there were reports of tank movements near Bangkok, but the military attributed these to a scheduled exercise. In early September, Thai police arrested five army officers, all members of Thailand's counter-insurgency command
Internal Security Operations Command
The Internal Security Operations Command is a unit of the Thai military devoted to national security issues. It was responsible for suppression of leftist groups during the 1970s and 1980s during which it was implicated in numerous atrocities against activists and civilians. The modern ISOC was...
, after intercepting one of the officers with a bomb in a car allegedly targeting the prime minister's residence. Three of the suspects were released after the coup.
In December 2006, former National Security Council head Prasong Soonsiri
Prasong Soonsiri
Prasong Soonsiri is a Thai politician, and former Royal Thai Air Force squadron leader, Thai Foreign Minister, and head of the Thai National Security Council. Prasong has been a long-time critic of Thaksin Shinawatra since Thaksin's entry into politics in 1994...
claimed that he and five other senior military figures had been planning a coup as early as July. He claimed that Sonthi was one of those figures, but that Surayud and Prem were not involved at the time.
Day one (Tuesday)
On the evening of 19 September 2006, the Thai military and police overthrew the elected government of Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Thailand
The Prime Minister of Thailand is the head of government of Thailand. The Prime Minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Revolution of 1932, when the country became a constitutional monarchy....
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
. At the time, the premier was in New York City for a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
.
- At 18:30, Royal Thai Army Special Forces units moved from Lopburi provinceLopburi ProvinceLop Buri is one of the central provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Phetchabun, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, Saraburi, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Ang Thong, Sing Buri and Nakhon Sawan.-Geography:...
to Bangkok. At the same time, Prem TinsulanondaPrem TinsulanondaGeneral Prem Tinsulanonda is a retired Thai military officer who served as Prime Minister of Thailand from March 3, 1980 to August 4, 1988. He now serves as the Head of the Privy Council of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej....
, Privy Council President, had an audience with King Bhumibol AdulyadejBhumibol AdulyadejBhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
, reportedly concerning a merit-making ceremony for Bua Kitiyakara, the King's mother-in-law. - By 21:00, the Special Forces units arrived in Bangkok.
- Around 21:30, Army-owned television broadcaster Channel 5 ceased scheduled programming and aired songs authored by King Bhumibol. By this time, rumours started spreading that the military had arrested Deputy Prime Minister in charge of national security Chitchai WannasathitChitchai WannasathitChitchai Wannasathit was the caretaker prime minister of Thailand from April to May 2006, when Thaksin Shinawatra took a break from his duties as prime minister following a disappointing showing in elections. Thaksin returned to his duties after more than a month...
and Defence Minister Thammarak Isaragura na AyuthayaThammarak Isaragura na AyuthayaThammarak Isarangkura na Ayuthaya is a former Thai military officer, Member of Parliament, co-founder of the Thai Rak Thai Party, and former defence minister...
, and that Thaksin's son had left the country. National radio, terrestrial TV, cable TV and some satellite broadcasters were taken off air shortly after (see below). - At 21:40, police commandosSpecial forcesSpecial forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
arrived at the residence of Thaksin. Army tanks soon took position throughout Bangkok. - At 22:20, Thaksin declared a state of emergency by telephone from New York. He transferred General Sonthi BoonyaratglinSonthi BoonyaratglinGeneral Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
from his post as Army Commander to a position at the Prime Minister's Office and appointed Supreme Commander General Ruangroj MahasaranonRuangroj MahasaranonGeneral Ruangroj Mahasaranon is the Supreme Commander General of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Following the 2006 Thailand coup d'état, ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra attempted to put Ruangroj in power until Thaksin returned. However, Ruangroj was later named the Chief Advisor to the...
to take control of the crisis. His declaration, broadcast on television, was cut immediately afterwards. - At 23:00 Thawinan KhongkranThawinan KhongkranThawinan Khongkran is a Thai celebrity. She was Miss University of Asia 1986 and Miss Asia-Pacific 1987 and remains famous in Thailand....
, Miss AsiaMiss Asia PageantThe Miss Asia Pageant , is organized by the Asia Television Limited , and they have organized this event since 1985. The contest was stopped from the year of 2000 through 2003, and relaunched in 2004....
1987 and head of Public Relations for Army-owned television station Channel 5, announced on TV that military and police units had Bangkok and the surrounding areas under control:
Military junta
A junta or military junta is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term derives from the Spanish language junta meaning committee, specifically a board of directors...
initially called the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy
Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy
The Council for National Security or, in brief, CNS , formerly known as the Council for Democratic Reform or, in brief, CDR , also translated as the Council for Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarchy, was the name of the military regime that governed Thailand following the 2006...
(CDRM) later took the name of Council for Democratic Reform to rule out suspicions about the role of the monarchy.
- At 23:50, the CDR issued a second statement explaining the reasons for the coup d'état and wished "to reaffirm that it has no intention to become the administrators of the country." The Council promised to retain the king as head of stateHead of StateA head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and to return administrative power to the Thai people "as quickly as possible."
- By 00:39 a third statement suspended the constitutionConstitution of ThailandThe Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand is the supreme law of Thailand. Since the change from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional democracy in 1932, Thailand has had 17 charters and constitutions, reflecting the high degree of political instability and frequency of military coups faced...
and dissolved the Cabinet, both houses of ParliamentNational Assembly of ThailandThe National Assembly of Thailand or the Parliament of Thailand is the legislative branch of the government of Thailand. The National Assembly of Thailand is a bicameral body, consisting of two chambers: the upper house, , and the lower house,...
, and the Constitutional CourtConstitutional Court of ThailandThe Constitutional Court of Thailand is an independent Thai court originally established under the 1997 Constitution with jurisdiction over the constitutionality of parliamentary acts, royal decrees, draft legislation, as well as the appointment and removal of public officials and issues regarding...
.
Foreign news channels, such as BBC World
BBC World
BBC World News is the BBC's international news and current affairs television channel. It has the largest audience of any BBC channel in the world...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
and Bloomberg Television
Bloomberg Television
Bloomberg Television is a 24-hour global network broadcasting business and financial news. It is distributed globally, reaching over 200 million homes worldwide. It is owned and operated by Bloomberg L.P...
, were reported to have been taken off air, although foreign broadcasters were still able to broadcast from Bangkok. Telecommunications networks (telephone and the Internet) were operational.
The Army declared martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
nationwide, ordered all soldiers to report to their barracks and banned troop movements unauthorised by the CDR. Television footage showed heavily armed troops in M113
M113 armored personnel carrier
The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier that has formed the backbone of the United States Army's mechanized infantry units from the time of its first fielding in Vietnam in April 1962. The M113 was the most widely used armored vehicle of the U.S...
armored personnel carriers and M998 HMMWV vehicles on the streets of the city. Many soldiers and military vehicles wore strips of yellow cloth as a symbol of loyalty to the king, whose royal color is yellow.
Junta commander Sonthi Boonyaratglin
Sonthi Boonyaratglin
General Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
confirmed that Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit
Chitchai Wannasathit
Chitchai Wannasathit was the caretaker prime minister of Thailand from April to May 2006, when Thaksin Shinawatra took a break from his duties as prime minister following a disappointing showing in elections. Thaksin returned to his duties after more than a month...
and Defence Minister Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya
Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya
Thammarak Isarangkura na Ayuthaya is a former Thai military officer, Member of Parliament, co-founder of the Thai Rak Thai Party, and former defence minister...
had been arrested. High-ranked civil servants were ordered to report to the Council while government offices and banks would be closed on 20 September.
A few hours after news of the coup broke, BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
reported that the leader of the coup would be meeting with the King later in the day, although it was unclear at that time what King Bhumibol's position on the coup was.
Day two (Wednesday)
- At 01:30 (20:30 UTC) on 20 September it was announced that the Prime Minister had cancelled his speech at the United Nations. The prime minister watched his downfall on television from a hotel in New York. Tom Kruesopon, an TRT member and an adviser Thaksin, said the premier "has not given up his power. He is not seeking asylum."
- At 09:16 General Sonthi Boonyaratglin announced in a television conference that the military had needed to seize power in order to unite the nation after months of political turmoil:
- At 12:14 Coup authorities demanded the cooperation of mass media, and later asked the Information and Communications Technology ministry (ICT) to control the distribution of all media information deemed harmful to the provisional military council.
- By 14:50, the 1997 Constitution1997 Constitution of ThailandFor legal and historical context, see the Constitutions of Thailand articlethumb|275px|Bangkok's [[Democracy Monument, Bangkok|Democracy Monument]]: a representation of the 1932 Constitution sits on top of two golden offering bowls above a turret....
of the Kingdom of Thailand (also known as the "People's Constitution") was removed from the website of the National Assembly of ThailandNational Assembly of ThailandThe National Assembly of Thailand or the Parliament of Thailand is the legislative branch of the government of Thailand. The National Assembly of Thailand is a bicameral body, consisting of two chambers: the upper house, , and the lower house,...
.
The country's northern border with Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
and Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
was closed for a couple of days.
In an interview given before leaving New York for London with Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai
Surakiart Sathirathai
Surakiart Sathirathai was, until September 19 2006, a Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand overseeing Foreign Affairs, Education and Culture.-Family and early career:...
, spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee, and his personal assistant Padung Limcharoenrat, Thaksin Shinawatra said:
Thaksin was escorted to his home in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
where he joined his daughter Pinthongta, who is studying in London. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said that Thaksin's trip was a private visit.
- At 15:35, junta leader Sonthi BoonyaratglinSonthi BoonyaratglinGeneral Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
announced that the military had no plan to seize the personal assets of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and no plans to seize shares of Shin CorporationShin CorporationShin Corporation is one of the largest conglomerates in Thailand.- History :It was founded in 1983 as Shinawatra Computer by Thaksin Shinawatra, former Prime Minister of Thailand, and took on its current name in 1999, by using the first four letters of his last name...
back from Temasek HoldingsTemasek HoldingsTemasek Holdings is an investment company owned by the government of Singapore. With an international staff of 380 people, it manages a portfolio of about S$193 billion at end of March 2011, focused primarily in Asia...
. Early in 2006, Thaksin sold his family's shares in Shin Corporation to Temasek.
- At 20:17 General Sonthi announced in a television statement that King Bhumibol Adulyadej had endorsed him as the head of the interim governing council. He also promised to restore democracy in a year's time.
Late in the evening, a spokesman of the CDR announced that the king has issued a royal command to appoint Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin as the CDR president.
Contradicting earlier announcements, the CDR issued a 13th statement maintaining the status of the newly selected Election Commission and adding that the EC ACT would organize the election of local administrations and councils.
The Council for Democratic Reform then issued its seventh order dividing responsibilities into four divisions as part of responsibility sharing. The four divisions are the CDR, the secretariat, the advisory division, and the special affairs division.
Day three (Thursday)
Potjaman Shinawatra
Khunying Potjaman Na Pombejra , formerly Potjaman Shinawatra and born as Soypetpotjaman Damapong , , is the ex-wife of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Potjaman played a key role in the development of Thaksin's commercial enterprises in the 1980s...
) were also seen loading assault weapons from the CSD in vehicles that went off to an unknown destination.
In the afternoon, Thailand's coup leader ordered media executives to army headquarters to tell them to stop carrying expression of public opinion following the military takeover. The move came after the military imposed strict controls on the media and said they would block information deemed harmful to the provisional military council now in control of Thailand. The army official said the normal television programming will be resumed but the council would begin making its own televised announcements every two hours starting from 11:00 am (0400 GMT).
RTA Troops and tanks began the process of reducing their presence at key government facilities. Four tanks remained at Government House early Thursday, down from 10 the previous day, and fewer armed soldiers are on guard. "As of now we have only two companies of troops — some 50 to 60 — deployed at Government House but total withdrawal is up to the army commander because there is not yet complete trust in the situation," Lieutenant Romklao Thuwatham.
Thailand's coup leader ordered two more top aides, Newin Chidchob, the minister attached to the premier's office, and Yongyuth Tiyapairat, minister of natural resources and environment, to deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
to report to the military, one day after detaining his senior deputy. "They must report themselves to the Council for Political Reform at Army Headquarters" at noon (0500 GMT) Thursday, the order said, referring to the provisional body the coup leaders have set up.
Ousted deputy prime minister Somkid Jatusripitak arrived at the Don Muang International Airport returning from France.
The chartered Thai Airways jet that took ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
to New York and later to London returned to the Don Muang Military Airport after being diverted from Bangkok's commercial airport. Onboard the plane were some 20 members of the press corps and low-ranking officials who had travelled with him. 10 heavily armed commandos immediately surrounded the plane and conducted an inspection. All were released after their passports were stamped.
Ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra called for new snap elections in his homeland and confirmed he is bowing out of politics, urging "national reconciliation" after the coup in Bangkok. In a statement issued in London, Thaksin said he will devote himself to development and possibly charity work.
Timing of the coup
Columnist Thanong Khanthong of The Nation claimed that Gen. Sonthi acted to prevent an imminent military coup by Thaksin. The columnist contended that Thaksin intended to use the political rally planned by the People's Alliance for DemocracyPeople's Alliance for Democracy
The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...
at the Royal Plaza on Wednesday 20 September to trigger violence and then declare a state of emergency and place the country under martial law. General Sonthi would have learned from an intelligence report that Yongyuth Tiyapairat and Newin Chidchob were planning to organise a counter protest with the support of the Forestry Police
Thahan Phran
The Thahan Phran is a paramilitary light infantry force which patrols the borders of Thailand and is part of the Royal Thai Army...
("Hunter Soldiers" or Rangers) armed with HK33 rifles and acted before the bloodshed was set to take place. On Friday, the Rangers were in the process of being disarmed. Both Newin and Yongyuth were later detained, the latter being accused of mobilizing the Forestry Police. Coup-planner Prasong Soonsiri
Prasong Soonsiri
Prasong Soonsiri is a Thai politician, and former Royal Thai Air Force squadron leader, Thai Foreign Minister, and head of the Thai National Security Council. Prasong has been a long-time critic of Thaksin Shinawatra since Thaksin's entry into politics in 1994...
later denied that Thaksin planned his own coup.
However, fellow The Nation columnist Chang Noi called Thanong Khanthong's claims "a myth" that had "achieved the status of 'fact'." Chang Noi noted the absolute lack of any corroborating evidence to support the claims of imminent violence as well as the lack of opposing troop movements on the night of the coup. Chang Noi called the myth a "salve" for people "surprised and a little ashamed to find themselves supporting a coup. This myth makes the coup reactive and defensive." He also noted that General Saprang Kalayanamitr
Saprang Kalayanamitr
General Saprang Kalayanamitr is a retired officer of the Royal Thai Army, Assistant Secretary-General of the Council for National Security, Commander of the junta's 14,000-man anti-protest force, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Airports of Thailand , and also Chairman of the Boards of TOT...
, commander of the Third Army, claimed that planning for the coup had begun 7 months in advance, thus contradicting claims that the coup was executed as a reactive pre-emptive strike against violence and Sonthi's who had said "hundreds of thousands" of pro- and anti-Thaksin supporters planned to descend on Bangkok.
General Sonthi later said in an interview that the coup was originally planned for 20 September, to coincide with a major anti-Thaksin rally also planned for that day. He cited the "Portuguese example
5 October 1910 revolution
The revolution of 1910 was a republican coup d'état that occurred in Portugal on 5 October 1910, which deposed King Manuel II and established the Portuguese First Republic....
" in which anti-government rallies coincided with a successful military rebellion which overthrew King Manuel II of Portugal
Manuel II of Portugal
Manuel II , named Manuel Maria Filipe Carlos Amélio Luís Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Francisco de Assis Eugénio de Bragança Orleães Sabóia e Saxe-Coburgo-Gotha — , was the last King of Portugal from 1908 to 1910, ascending the throne after the assassination of his father and elder brother Manuel...
and established the Portuguese First Republic
Portuguese First Republic
The Portuguese First Republic spans a complex 16 year period in the history of Portugal, between the end of the period of constitutional monarchy marked by the 5 October 1910 revolution and the 28 May coup d'état of 1926...
. The coup was moved up to 19 September, when Thaksin was still in New York. Sonthi also stated that the coup was not an urgent measure mooted just a couple of days earlier. Sonthi also claimed that during a lunch that Thaksin had with the commanders of the armed forces, Thaksin had asked him "Will you stage a coup?" Sonthi replied: "I will." This contradicted earlier public statements where he denied that the military would stage a coup.
The Nation noted that the timing of the coup contains many instances of the number nine, a highly auspicious number in Thai numerology
Numerology
Numerology is any study of the purported mystical relationship between a count or measurement and life. It has many systems and traditions and beliefs...
. The coup occurred at the 19th day of the 9th month of Buddhist Era 2549. Coup leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin made a major public announcement on the morning after the coup at 9.39 am. The Nation earlier indicated 9:16 as the time for Sonthi's press conference and it should be noted that the Buddhist calendar
Buddhist calendar
The Buddhist calendar is used on mainland Southeast Asia in the countries of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Burma and Sri Lanka in several related forms. It is a lunisolar calendar having months that are alternately 29 and 30 days, with an intercalated day and a 30-day month added at regular intervals...
is in line with the Gregorian calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
only since 1941.
Coup financing
The junta was accused of paying Army officers 1.5 billion baht in order to participate in the coup. Junta leader Sonthi Boonyaratkalin stopped short of denying that the military spent money from a secret fund, saying "We certainly needed money for our people's food and other necessary expenses."Causes of the coup
Many causes of the coup were identified, both by the junta as well as by independent observers. Initial reasons stated by the junta were the Thaksin government's alleged creation of an "unprecedented rift in society", corruption, nepotism, interference in independent agencies, and insults to the King. Later reasons stated by junta leaders included Thaksin's alleged vote buying, plans to provoke violence, and weakening of the military.Two months after the coup, the junta issued a white paper
White paper
A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has also come to refer to...
identifying many reasons for the coup, including corruption, abuse of power, lack of integrity, interference in the checks and balances system, human rights violations, and destroying the unity of the people.
Independent analysts identified widely differing reasons for the coup. Thitinan Pongsudhirak
Thitinan Pongsudhirak
Thitinan Pongsudhirak is a Thai political scientist and a Professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. Thitinan completed his PhD from the London School of Economics. He completed an M.A. from the School of Advanced International Studies of the Johns Hopkins University and B.A...
of Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
alleged that the coup was due to conflicts between Thaksin and King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
. Biographer Paul Handley noted that "[the coup masterminds] did not want Thaksin in a position to exert influence on the passing of the Chakri Dynasty mantle to Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn." Giles Ungpakorn of Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
claimed that the coup was due to class conflicts between the rural poor (who supported Thaksin) and the urban elite (who supported the junta).
Photo-timeline of the coup, from dusk to dawn
The scene changed every hour as the coup progressed. Here is how it unfolded after the first tanks rolled in according to the observations of Manik Sethisuwan. Manik was one of a few citizens who was forced to spend the night on the street as his car had run out of gas. According to government laws as of September 2006, it was mandatory for all gas and petrol stations in the city to close-down during the hours of 2200 unto 0500 as a cost-saving measure. Hence he was forced to seek refuge near the international press personnel until it was possible for him to move out, as a result of which he was able to capture most of the event as it unfolded.Outside Thailand
After the coup, Thaksin flew from New York to London, where his daughter was a student. He was later joined by his family. General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said earlier that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra could return to the country, but warned he could face criminal charges. "Any prosecution would proceed under the law, and would depend on the evidence," Sonthi said. However, Privy CouncilorPrivy Council (Thailand)
The Privy Council of Thailand is a body of appointed advisors to the Monarch of Thailand: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The Council, as the Constitution of Thailand stipulates, must be composed of no more than eighteen members...
and interim Prime Minister General Surayud Chulanont
Surayud Chulanont
General Surayud Chulanont is a Thai political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's Interim Government between 2006 and 2008...
later warned against Thaksin's return, calling his return a "threat." "Myself and several other people understand that supporters and opponents will clash on the day that Thaksin returns home. It would be a big commotion," he said.
Deputy Premier Surakiart Sathirathai
Surakiart Sathirathai
Surakiart Sathirathai was, until September 19 2006, a Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand overseeing Foreign Affairs, Education and Culture.-Family and early career:...
was with Thaksin attending the UN General Assembly in New York when the military staged a coup on Tuesday against the prime minister. Surakiart was, at the time, in the hotly contested race to succeed UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
, a Thai official said. "The (new) Thai authorities have reaffirmed their support for Dr Surakiart's candidature for the UNSG," Thai ambassador to the United States Virasakdi Futrakul told AFP. "There's no change. He's still in the race." The former Deputy Premier had left for Bangkok after the Junta took power.
Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya
Thanong Bidaya
Thanong Bidaya is a Thai politician and deposed Finance Minister. After the military overthrew the government of Thaksin Shinawatra, he remained in Singapore where he was attending the annual meeting of the World Bank/IMF....
remained in Singapore where he was attending the annual meeting of the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
/IMF
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
. Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak
Somkid Jatusripitak
Somkid Jatusripitak , Chinese: 曾汉光, Thai politician, is a former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce of Thailand. He was a leader and cofounder of the populist Thai Rak Thai party. His wife, Anurachanee Jatusripitak, teaches at Chulalongkorn University...
remained in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
but returned to Bangkok on Thursday. Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon
Kantathi Suphamongkhon
Dr. Kantathi Suphamongkhon is the 39th Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand. He served as Foreign Minister during the administration of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from 11 March 2005 until the military coup d'état on 19 September 2006.Suphamongkhon is now the University of...
flew from Paris, where he was attending the Thai-France Cultural Exhibition presided over by HRH Princess Sirindhorn
Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is the second daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Thais commonly refer to her as Phra Thep, meaning "princess angel." Because her title in Thai is the female equivalent of the title held by her brother, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, she is informally referred...
, to Germany, before returning to Bangkok.
Agriculture Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan
Sudarat Keyuraphan
Sudarat Keyuraphan is a Thai politician and the deputy leader of the Thai Rak Thai party. She served as the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand in the Thai Rak Thai government until its ousting in the September 2006 coup.Born in Bangkok, Sudarat is a graduate of Chulalongkorn...
was reported to have fled to Paris with her family. Thai Rak Thai
Thai Rak Thai
The Thai Rak Thai Party was a Thai political party that was officially banned on May 30, 2007, by the Constitutional Court of Thailand due to violations of electoral laws during the 2006 legislative elections. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under Prime Minister and its founder Thaksin...
party executive and former Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana left the country for Germany.
Arrested or detained by the junta
Deputy Prime Minister in charge of national security Chitchai WannasathitChitchai Wannasathit
Chitchai Wannasathit was the caretaker prime minister of Thailand from April to May 2006, when Thaksin Shinawatra took a break from his duties as prime minister following a disappointing showing in elections. Thaksin returned to his duties after more than a month...
was arrested after the coup and detained at the Army Command. He was detained on Wednesday and is now being held at a guesthouse on the northern outskirts of Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, according to army spokesman Colonel Acar Tiproj. Defence Minister Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya
Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya
Thammarak Isarangkura na Ayuthaya is a former Thai military officer, Member of Parliament, co-founder of the Thai Rak Thai Party, and former defence minister...
is in hiding. His whereabouts are unknown. Former Secretary-General to the Premier Prommin Lertsuridej
Prommin Lertsuridej
Prommin Lertsuridej, M.D. was a Thai politician, former student leader, former Secretary General to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, former Deputy Prime Minister in charge of economic affairs, and former Minister of Energy in the Thaksin government...
and Labor Ministry Permanent Secretary Somchai Wongsawat (who is Thaksin's brother-in-law) were also placed under arrest on the second floor of the Army Command building. The Secretary-General was last reported being detained at the same guesthouse as the Deputy Chitchai Wannasathit
Chitchai Wannasathit
Chitchai Wannasathit was the caretaker prime minister of Thailand from April to May 2006, when Thaksin Shinawatra took a break from his duties as prime minister following a disappointing showing in elections. Thaksin returned to his duties after more than a month...
.
Natural Resources and Environmental Minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat and Deputy Agriculture Minister Newin Chidchop
Newin Chidchop
Newin Chidchob is a Thai politician. As a member of several political parties, Newin and his allies eventually joined the Thai Rak Thai Party of Thaksin Shinawatra in 2005. Until the 2006 Thai coup d'état, he served as a member of the Parliament for Buriram Province and was a Cabinet minister with...
were ordered to report themselves to the junta by noon Thursday. The junta did not specify what punishment they would receive if they failed to report. At the time, there were reports that both Yongyuth and Newin were in London. Troops raided Yongyuth's houses in Mae Chan district of Chiang Rai province (at 10.35 Wednesday) and Bangkok (Wednesday night), but did not find him. Both Yongyuth and Newin reported themselves at Army Headquarters on Thursday, and were detained.
Chidchai Wannasathit, Newin Chidchop, Yongyuth Tiyapairat, and Prommin Lertsuridet were freed after the Interim Charter was promulgated. The status of Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya was unknown.
In Thailand
Several party executives including Chaturon ChaisangChaturon Chaisang
Chaturon Chaisang is a Thai politician and former Deputy Prime Minister. He was a leader of the New Aspiration Party, and became an ally of Thaksin Shinawatra when New Aspiration merged into Thai Rak Thai after the 2001 general elections.- Education :...
, Phumtham Wechayachai and Suranand Vejjajiva were reported to still be in Thailand and not arrested by the junta. TRT MP Veera Musikapong was also at liberty. Party Deputy and Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit
Suriya Jungrungreangkit
Suriya Jungrungreangkit is a Thai politician of the Thai Rak Thai party. Since 2002 he is the Minister of Transport of Thailand...
and former Social Development and Human Security Minister Watana Muangsook were reported to be staying in the country at an unidentified location.
Civil servants, government agencies and family
The junta initiated the removal from the civil service of people appointed by the Thaksin government as well as his former classmates at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory SchoolArmed Forces Academies Preparatory School, Thailand
The Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School or AFAPS is a Thai military academy, providing an education equivalent to the last three years of senior high school . It is under the command of the Education Department of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters...
. Several military officers were transferred to inactive posts. Also removed were 18 senior police officers which the junta claimed could pose a threat to national security if they were to remain in their current posts. For a list of transferred military and police officers, see Removal from the civil service by the CDR. In early February, Police Commissioner-General Kowit Wattana himself was ousted for investigating military involvement in the 2007 Bangkok bombings.
The purge was completed in the junta's mid-year military reshuffle of April 2007, when all senior officers perceived as loyal to the Thaksin government were removed and replaced with officers trusted by the new regime.
The junta affirmed on 20 September that along with the abolition of the Constitution, the Constitutional Court
Constitutional Court of Thailand
The Constitutional Court of Thailand is an independent Thai court originally established under the 1997 Constitution with jurisdiction over the constitutionality of parliamentary acts, royal decrees, draft legislation, as well as the appointment and removal of public officials and issues regarding...
and other independent organisations set up under the abrogated charter were automatically abolished. However, the status of Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka
Jaruvan Maintaka
Khun Ying Jaruvan Maintaka is the current Auditor-General of the Kingdom of Thailand. She refused to resign her position after the Constitutional Court of Thailand ruled that her nomination was illegal. She is well known for her public criticism of deposed Premier Thaksin Shinawatra...
was maintained by an order of the junta. The same order dissolved the State Audit Commission. She appeared when summoned along with senior government officials by the junta.
Surasit Sangkhapong, director of the Government Lottery Office and an aide of Thaksin resigned to allow Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka
Jaruvan Maintaka
Khun Ying Jaruvan Maintaka is the current Auditor-General of the Kingdom of Thailand. She refused to resign her position after the Constitutional Court of Thailand ruled that her nomination was illegal. She is well known for her public criticism of deposed Premier Thaksin Shinawatra...
to conduct an investigation into an allegation of irregularity.
Pol Col Priewphan Damapong, Deputy Police Commissioner-General and brother-in-law of Thaksin Shinawatra, reported himself to the national police chief in line with the junta's orders.
Thaksin's wife and son, initially reported as having left Thailand for Singapore ahead of the declaration of martial law, were later reported in Thailand. It was suggested they remained to look after the family's finances. On Monday 25 September Pojaman Shinawatra left Bangkok at 1:30 am (1830 GMT) to join her husband in London.
Council for Democratic Reform
The junta ruled with a series of announcements. An early announcement asked the media to call it by its full name, the Council for Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM), rather than just the Council for Democratic Reform (CDR). The junta said that the public might be misled if it wasn't understood that the junta was working "under the Constitutional Monarchy". Later, the junta formally shortened its English name (but not its Thai name) to Council for Democratic Reform (CDR) in order to avoid any suspicions about the role of the monarchy in the coup.The 11th official announcement of the military regime outlined its leadership. It was composed of the leaders of all branches of the Thai military and police.
- Army Commander General Sonthi BoonyaratglinSonthi BoonyaratglinGeneral Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
, named Chief of the Council for Democratic Reform - Navy Commander Admiral Sathiraphan KeyanonSathiraphan KeyanonAdmiral Sathiraphan Keyanon is a Thai naval officer, Commander of the Royal Thai Navy, and a deputy in the military junta that overthrew the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a 2006 military coup...
, named first deputy chief of CDR - Air Force Commander Air Chief Marshal Chalit PookpasukChalit PookpasukAir Chief Marshal Chalit Pookpasuk was Thai air force officer, Commander of the Royal Thai Air Force, and acting chairman of Council for National Security, the junta that overthrew the government of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in the 2006 coup d'état.-Biography:Chalit graduated from...
, named second deputy chief of CDR - Police Commissioner-General Police General Kowit WattanaKowit WattanaKowit Wattana is a Thai Police General and politician. From 2004 to 2007 he was the Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police. In 2008, he was Minister of the Interior, and since 2011 he has been Deputy Prime Minister under Yingluck Shinawatra...
, named third deputy chief of CDR - National Security Council Secretary-General General Winai Phatthiyakul, named Secretary-General of the CDR
- Supreme Commander General Ruangroj MahasaranonRuangroj MahasaranonGeneral Ruangroj Mahasaranon is the Supreme Commander General of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Following the 2006 Thailand coup d'état, ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra attempted to put Ruangroj in power until Thaksin returned. However, Ruangroj was later named the Chief Advisor to the...
, named Chief Adviser to the CDR
On 20 September 2006 (local time in Bangkok), the junta denied that it had appointed a Prime Minister, and noted that General Sonthi Boonyaratglin had the powers of a Premier.
A week after the coup, Sonthi's former classmate General Boonsrang Naimpradit was promoted from Deputy Supreme Commander to the post of Supreme Commander, replacing Ruangroj Mahasaranon
Ruangroj Mahasaranon
General Ruangroj Mahasaranon is the Supreme Commander General of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Following the 2006 Thailand coup d'état, ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra attempted to put Ruangroj in power until Thaksin returned. However, Ruangroj was later named the Chief Advisor to the...
. Junta Secretary General, Winai Phattiyakul, was promoted to the post of Permanent Secretary for Defence.
Gen Sonthi also promoted his fellow classmates and lieutenants in the coup, 1st Army Region Commander Lt-Gen Anupong Paochinda
Anupong Paochinda
General Anupong Paochinda is a former Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army. He held the position from 2007 until his retirement on 30 September 2010....
and 3rd Army Region Commander Lt-Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr
Saprang Kalayanamitr
General Saprang Kalayanamitr is a retired officer of the Royal Thai Army, Assistant Secretary-General of the Council for National Security, Commander of the junta's 14,000-man anti-protest force, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Airports of Thailand , and also Chairman of the Boards of TOT...
, to the post of Assistant Army Commander.
Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin told Reuters news agency :"I can assure you it is impossible that we will control the government. [...] We will be the government's tool to keep peace."
In its 16th announcement, the CDR gave itself the role of parliament. On 22 September, the junta gave Police General Kowit Wattana
Kowit Wattana
Kowit Wattana is a Thai Police General and politician. From 2004 to 2007 he was the Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police. In 2008, he was Minister of the Interior, and since 2011 he has been Deputy Prime Minister under Yingluck Shinawatra...
absolute power over all police matters and named him chair of a new National Police Commission to rewrite the 2004 National Police Bill.
Appointment of advisory committee
The junta ordered 58 prominent civilians to serve as its advisers. However, most of the appointees denied any knowledge of the appointments, with several saying they couldn't serve. "I have said that the coup is wrong, how can I serve as its advisory board?" asked Chaiwat Satha-anand of the Faculty of Political Science of Chulalongkorn UniversityChulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
. Pratheep Ungsongtham Hata, who was appointed to the reconciliation panel, also boycotted the CDR's advisory board, noting that as a democracy advocate, she could not work with the CDR, which took power by unconstitutional means. Pibhob Dhongchai, a leader of the defunct anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy
People's Alliance for Democracy
The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...
, said he could not participate in the reconciliation panel because he was a member of the National Economic and Social Advisory Council, and already had a channel to advise the government.
Pasuk Pongpaichit, an anti-Thaksin economist who had also been appointed, denied that she would serve as an advisor, using as her excuse an impending extended trip to Japan. However, some appointees welcomed their appointments, like Nakharin Mektrairat and Thawee Suraritthikul, the deans of the Faculty of Political Science of Thammasat and Sukhothai Thammathirat University, respectively. When asked by the press why the junta had not informed the appointees of their appointments, the CDR spokesman Lt-Gen Palangoon Klaharn said: "It is not necessary. Some matters are urgent. It is an honour to help the country. I believe that those who have been named will not reject the appointment because we haven't damaged their reputation."
Investigation of the deposed government
The junta established a committee empowered to investigate any projects or acts by members of the Thaksin government and others who were suspected of any irregularities, including personal tax evasion. The committee, chaired by Nam YimyaemNam Yimyaem
Nam Yimyaem is a retired judge of the Supreme Court of Thailand, former deputy Supreme Court President, and currently chairperson of a committee investigating the assets of deposed Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.-April 2006 election:...
, had the authority to freeze the assets of members and families of the Thaksin government accused of corruption and was composed of several figures who had been publicly critical of the Thaksin government, including Kaewsan Atibhoti, Jaruvan Maintaka
Jaruvan Maintaka
Khun Ying Jaruvan Maintaka is the current Auditor-General of the Kingdom of Thailand. She refused to resign her position after the Constitutional Court of Thailand ruled that her nomination was illegal. She is well known for her public criticism of deposed Premier Thaksin Shinawatra...
, Banjerd Singkaneti
Banjerd Singkaneti
Banjerd Singkaneti is an Assistant Professor of Law at Thammasat University and a noted critic of Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.-Education and early career:Banjerd completed an LL.B. at Bangkok's Ramkhamhaeng University. He received an LL.M...
, Klanarong Chantik, and Sak Korsaengruang.
A separate decree (No. 31) gave the NCCC the authority to freeze the assets of politicians who failed to report their financial status by a deadline or intentionally reported false information. Another decree (No. 27) increased the penalty for political party executives whose parties had been ordered dissolved, from simply banning them from forming or becoming executives of a new party, to stripping them of their electoral rights for five years.
Interim constitution
A draft interim constitution was released on 27 September 2006, and received mixed reactions. Structurally, the draft was similar to the 1991 Constitution, the 1976 Constitution, and the 1959 Charter, in that it allows an extremely powerful executive branch to appoint the entire legislature. The CDR, which would be transformed into a Council for National Security (CNS), would appoint the head of the executive branch, the entire legislature, and the drafters of a permanent constitution.Thailand's future government
Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin, leader of the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy told foreign diplomats that a civilian government and prime minister would be appointed to run the country within two weeks. The constitution would be amended for a rapid return to democracy through a national election in a year's time. This would imply that the October 2006 electionsThailand legislative election, October 2006
After Thailand's April 2006 elections were declared invalid by the Constitutional Court, it was decided that new elections would be held on 15 October 2006...
will not take place as scheduled.
Sonthi confirmed a previous statement saying that Thaksin and the members of his cabinet have done no wrong and can return to Thailand. However, Privy Councilor
Privy Council (Thailand)
The Privy Council of Thailand is a body of appointed advisors to the Monarch of Thailand: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The Council, as the Constitution of Thailand stipulates, must be composed of no more than eighteen members...
and top contender of appointment as interim Prime Minister General Surayud Chulanont
Surayud Chulanont
General Surayud Chulanont is a Thai political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's Interim Government between 2006 and 2008...
warned against Thaksin's return, calling his return a "threat."<
Sonthi said Thailand was and still is a democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and that tourists can continue to visit the country normally. The U.S. State Department has not issued a travel warning for Thailand, but has advised tourists to be vigilant.
On 20 September 2006, Thailand's Army chief and current interim leader, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, pledged to hold general elections by October 2007.
Many civilians were rumored to have been short-listed for appointment to figurehead Prime Minister. These included General Surayud Chulanont
Surayud Chulanont
General Surayud Chulanont is a Thai political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's Interim Government between 2006 and 2008...
(Privy Councilor
Privy Council (Thailand)
The Privy Council of Thailand is a body of appointed advisors to the Monarch of Thailand: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The Council, as the Constitution of Thailand stipulates, must be composed of no more than eighteen members...
to King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
), Akharathorn Chularat, (Chief Justice of the Supreme Administrative Court), and Pridiyathorn Devakula
Pridiyathorn Devakula
Mom Rajawongse Pridiyathorn Devakula served as Minister of Finance in Thailand's interim civilian government. Before being named to the Cabinet of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, Pridiyathorn had served as Governor of the Bank of Thailand since 2001...
, (Governor of the Bank of Thailand
Bank of Thailand
- History :The Bank of Thailand was first set up as the Thai National Banking Bureau. The Bank of Thailand Act was promulgated on 28 April 1942 vesting upon the Bank of Thailand the responsibility for all central banking functions...
), and Supachai Panitchpakdi
Supachai Panitchpakdi
Supachai Panitchpakdi is the Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development . Prior to this, he was the Director-General of the World Trade Organization from September 1, 2002 to September 1, 2005...
(Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body. It is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues....
).
On 26 September 2006, junta leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin said that the junta would remain in place after the appointment of a civilian government, noting "It's necessary to keep the council so that there is no loophole for the executive branch."
Following the appointment of a new interim civilian government, the junta would be transformed into a permanent "Council of National Security". It will dissolve itself once the general election is held a year later.
Restrictions on human rights and freedom of expression
For general information about the Thai media, see Media in Thailand. For information about censorship in Thailand prior to the coup see Censorship in ThailandCensorship in Thailand
Freedom of speech in Thailand was guaranteed in the articles 39, 40, 41 in the 1997 Constitution.According to those articles, censorship may be imposed to preserve national security, maintain public order, preserve the rights of others, protect public morals, and prevent criticism of the royal...
.
Over 90% of Thais own a television and over 50% own a radio. For most Thais, TV and radio are the only source of daily news and information about the coup. Less than 20% of the population reads daily newspapers. As of 2004 Internet users made up less than 12% of the population nationwide, and 26% in the Bangkok area. The junta imposed and maintained censorship on television from the first day of the coup onwards. However, no newspaper publications were suppressed and censorship of the Internet did not start until several days after the coup.
Restrictions on broadcasting and the press
The CDR demanded the cooperation of the Thai mass media and authorised the censorship of news reports that might be negative to the military. During the first 12 hours of the coup information was available only to those able to access the Internet or receive TV channels by satellites not controlled by the junta.Television censorship
On the evening of Tuesday 19 September, regular programmes on Thai television channels were replaced by video clips and music authored by the King. The next day, shortly after Sondhi's TV conference, all Thai channels were back on air under control of the ICT Ministry authorised to censor information.
On Thursday 21 September 2006, the CDR summoned media executives to Army Headquarters and ordered them to stop carrying expressions of public opinion. This included a ban against the common practice of broadcasting viewers' text messages
Short message service
Short Message Service is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices...
on a news ticker
News ticker
A news ticker resides in the lower third of the television screen space on television news networks dedicated to presenting headlines or minor pieces of news. It may also refer to a long, thin scoreboard-style display seen around the front of some offices or public buildings...
. The junta did not say whether the ban would extend to newspaper editorials or internet web boards.
Thai television broadcasters did not air footage of demonstrations against the coup, including the first major protest on 22 September at Siam Square.
Local cable broadcasts of CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
, NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
, and several other several other foreign news channels were censored, with any footage involving former Premier Thaksin
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
blacked out.
On Thursday September 21, 2006, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
disclosed that armed soldiers are sitting in every television news studio and control room. As of Thursday October 12, 2006, Suwanna Uyanan, vice president of the Thai Broadcasting Journalists Association, says that soldiers are still occupying Channel 11, where she works.
The nine members of Board of Directors of MCOT
MCOT
MCOT Public Company Limited )) is a Thai media conglomerate. Its origins date back to the creation in 1955 of Thailand's first television broadcaster, The Thai Television Company Limited. In 1977, this company was reconstituted as a state enterprise, the Mass Communications Organization of Thailand...
, a privatised state-owned media company, resigned on 26 September with effect as of 27 September in order to take responsibility for allowing Thaksin Shinwatra to address the nation on MCOT-controlled Modernine TV (Channel 9).
Radio censorship
On Thursday 21 September 2006, the CDR ordered more than 300 community radio stations in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai Province
Chiang Mai is the second-largest province of Thailand, located in the north of the country. Neighboring provinces are Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lamphun, Tak, and Mae Hong Son. In the north it borders Shan State of Burma...
, Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai Province
Chiang Rai is the northernmost province of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are Phayao, Lampang and Chiang Mai. In the north it borders Shan State of Myanmar and Bokeo of Laos.-Geography:...
, and Mae Hong Son
Mae Hong Son Province
Most of the areas of Mae Hong Son Province are complex mountain ranges and likely still pristine virgin forest. Of the approximately 6,976,650 rai of national forest reserves, 88.02% is thought to be pristine virgin forest...
to suspend broadcasts. Community radio stations in Lamphun, Lampang, and Phayao were also ordered to turn their transmitters off. In addition, the pro-Thaksin Muan Chon Community Radio in Udon Thani stopped broadcasting on Wednesday. Police were stationed at the radio building as well as the office of Siang Tham Community Radio Station, owned by revered monk Luang Ta Maha Bua. Maha Bua had been a key supporter of the People's Alliance for Democracy
People's Alliance for Democracy
The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...
.
In response to the community radio ban, some station operators vowed to air only non political programmes. They promised self-censorship to ensure their programmes would not infringe against CDR rules. Others in the North initiated a signed pledge campaign that they would not become involved in politics and that their programming would be completely free of politics.
Press censorship
The websites of the leading Bangkok newspapers Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
The Bangkok Post is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. The first issue was sold on August 1, 1946. It had four pages and cost 1 baht, a considerable amount at the time....
, The Nation
The Nation (Thailand)
The Nation is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper founded in 1971 and published in Bangkok, Thailand, and is owned by the Nation Multimedia Group.The Nation is a member of the Asia News Network...
and Thai Rath
Thai Rath
Thai Rath is a Thai-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok and distributed nationwide. The paper is a broadsheet published with two sections. The first section is devoted to news. Although the news section is best known for its sensationalist coverage of crime and accidents, it also...
had been functioning normally and were reporting the coup. Both the Bangkok Post and The Nation had been strong critics of the deposed government. The Daily News
Daily News (Thailand)
-History:Daily News was founded by Saeng Hetrakul , and published its first issue on March 28, 1964, under the name Naew Na Haeng Yuk Daily News .-External links:*...
website included extensive photographic coverage of the military operations. On the morning of Wednesday, 20 September newspapers were available as usual.
On Saturday 23 September 2006, the CDR said they would "urgently retaliate against foreign reporters whose coverage has been deemed insulting to the monarchy." Numerous international news agencies speculated at the King's role in the coup (see Role and position of the King).
Internet censorship
On September 21, during a meeting with internet service providers and operators of TV stations, radio stations and other ICT businesses, the ICT Ministry (ICT) asked webmasters to close political webboards found to contain provocative messages for 12 days. Kraisorn Pornsuthee, ICT Permanent Secretary said that websites and webboards will face permanent closure if such messages continue to appear, but that messages could be posted on webboards as long as they do not provoke any misunderstandings. The anti-coup website 19sep.org was shut down, but later relocated to the US. The official website of the Thai Rak Thai
Thai Rak Thai
The Thai Rak Thai Party was a Thai political party that was officially banned on May 30, 2007, by the Constitutional Court of Thailand due to violations of electoral laws during the 2006 legislative elections. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under Prime Minister and its founder Thaksin...
party was also shut down.
On September 27, the ICT ministry confirmed that at least 10 websites were shut down for violating the junta's regulations.
The Midnight University website, a free scholarly resource and discussion board, was temporarily shut down after the management of Midnight University and scholars from Chiang Mai University
Chiang Mai University
Chiang Mai University is a public research university in northern Thailand founded in 1964 with a strong emphasis on engineering, science, and agriculture. Its instructional mission includes undergraduate, graduate, professional and continuing education offered through resident instruction...
conducted a protest against the junta's draft interim charter. Somkiat Tangnamo, the webmaster of Midnight University, claimed the site contained 1,500 free scholarly articles and received 2.5 million visits per month. Kasian Tejapira of Thammasat University
Thammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
claimed the website was "the foremost free and critical educational and public intellectual website in Thailand. The shutdown is not only a huge loss to academic and intellectual freedom in Thai society, but also the closure of a free forum for the contention of ideas so as to find a peaceful alternative to violent conflict in Thailand". Kraisorn Pornsuthee ICT Ministry permanent secretary said he did not know about the shutdown of the website and would ask for details from his officials.
In the second week after the coup, the Thai Rak Thai website was temporarily inaccessible, without indication if it was an act of censure or not. The Thaksin.com website used by Thaksin to receive mails and comments from his supporters and to promote himself was also inaccessible.
On April 8, 2005, a very popular political webboard "Rajdumnern" on www.pantip.com/cafe (Pantip) was suspended. At first, the ICT ministry claimed that the content on the webboard was a threat to national security and had some content that might be considered Lese Majeste
Lèse majesté
Lese-majesty is the crime of violating majesty, an offence against the dignity of a reigning sovereign or against a state.This behavior was first classified as a criminal offence against the dignity of the Roman republic in Ancient Rome...
. However, the following day, the news was conflicting. The ICT ministry said that Pantip's webmaster suspended the service by itself because they were unable to control the content on the website. On the other hand, Pantip webmaster claimed that they received a phone call from member of ICT minister threatening to block the whole site if "Rajdumnern" was not closed down. At that time, on the first page of Rajdumneren, the Pantip webmaster posted a message saying that they had to close Rajdumnern due to the volatility of the situation. Further on April 10, 2005, the Rajdumnern webboard became active again. This time, the message from the webmaster said "after consulting with the ICT ministry, the principle of 'Free Speech' was upheld, thus allowing the criticizing of the work of the cabinet and CNS on the truth and responsible basis. [the webmaster] had considered that they are capable of controlling the content to within acceptable scope, therefore the 'Rajdumnern' webboard became active again."
Restrictions on political meetings and political parties
The military also banned any gathering of five or more people for political purposes, threatening violators with six months in jail. On Wednesday 20 September, the military arrested activist Chalard WorachatChalard Worachat
Chalard Worachat is a Thai activist. His 1992 hunger strike helped bring down the military government. His 1994 hunger strike forced the government of Chuan Leekpai to establish a committee to amend the constitution of Thailand. Following the 2006 Thailand coup d'état, he was arrested by military...
along with hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
r and former MP Thawee Kraikup at Democracy Monument while they were peacefully protesting against the coup.
The anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy
People's Alliance for Democracy
The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...
formally cancelled its scheduled rally for 20 September 2006 and later dissolved itself, after having reached its self-set goal of toppling the Thaksin government. The status of the Mass Party, established by PAD leaders, was not known.
Thailand's coup leaders Thursday banned political parties from holding meetings or from conducting any other activities, according to a statement read on national television. The junta also barred the establishment of new political parties.
"Political gatherings of more than five people have already been banned, but political activities can resume when normalcy is restored," the statement said.
In its 22nd Announcement, the junta ordered a complete ban on all political activities, including those at the local level like tambon administrative organizations and provincial administrative organisations.
Despite the bans, the organizers of the Thai Social Forum, a major nation-wide conference of 300 social and political activists, insisted that the meeting would continue to take place at Thammasat University's
Thammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
Rangsit Center from 21-23 October. Jon Ungphakorn, an organizer said that the stress of the conference would be media reform and press freedom.
Restrictions on the right to travel
The military interpreted the restriction on the right to assembly as a restriction against travel, in at least one case. On the night of 25 September, 100 teachers from Chiang RaiChiang Rai Province
Chiang Rai is the northernmost province of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are Phayao, Lampang and Chiang Mai. In the north it borders Shan State of Myanmar and Bokeo of Laos.-Geography:...
(in the North) were traveling via bus to attend a social function in Chonburi
Chonburi Province
Chonburi is a province of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi and Rayong. To the west is the Gulf of Thailand. The eastern seaboard is heavily industrialized and underpinned by shipping, transportation, tourism, and manufacturing industries, and second to only Bangkok...
(on the eastern coast) when they were stopped by soldiers at a checkpoint. The soldiers refused to allow the two busloads of teachers to continue because they failed to provide a permit from the Chiang Rai Army Commander for them to move in a group larger than five people.
Large groups travelling into Bangkok were required to seek authorization from their District Offices.
Role and position of the King
It was assumed by some Thai analysts and the international media that the coup had the support of King Bhumibol AdulyadejBhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
. For some analysts, the silence of both the King and Privy Council
Privy Council (Thailand)
The Privy Council of Thailand is a body of appointed advisors to the Monarch of Thailand: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The Council, as the Constitution of Thailand stipulates, must be composed of no more than eighteen members...
President General Prem Tinsulanonda
Prem Tinsulanonda
General Prem Tinsulanonda is a retired Thai military officer who served as Prime Minister of Thailand from March 3, 1980 to August 4, 1988. He now serves as the Head of the Privy Council of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej....
on the day following the coup was taken as indicating support. Remarks made earlier in 2006 by Thaksin had been widely understood as a criticism of Prem's continued influence in Thai politics.
Royal endorsement is critical to establishing legitimacy for military rebellions - every successful coup over the past 60 years has been endorsed by King Bhumibol. Previous unendorsed coups in 1981 and 1985 failed after at most a few days. For background, see King Bhumibol's role in Thai politics.
On 14 July 2006, Privy Council
Privy Council (Thailand)
The Privy Council of Thailand is a body of appointed advisors to the Monarch of Thailand: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The Council, as the Constitution of Thailand stipulates, must be composed of no more than eighteen members...
President Prem Tinsulanonda
Prem Tinsulanonda
General Prem Tinsulanonda is a retired Thai military officer who served as Prime Minister of Thailand from March 3, 1980 to August 4, 1988. He now serves as the Head of the Privy Council of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej....
addressed graduating cadets of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy or CRMA is the military academy of Royal Thai Army. Established in 1887 it has graduated the vast majority of Thailand's military leaders and many of them become Thai Prime Ministers.-History:...
, telling them that the Thai military must obey the orders of the King - not the Government. Prem was a harsh critic of Thaksin, comparing him to Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
.
At the time that Special Forces started mobilizing from Lopburi to Bangkok, Prem was having an audience with the King. This led to speculation outside Thailand that the King had advance knowledge of the coup, or even that he had executive control over it, although there was no direct evidence for this. The day after the coup, the King endorsed it and its leader. Given the extensive reserve powers retained by the King, this statement gave legitimacy to the coup and legal authority to Sonthi's position.
Some Thai analysts have said that the King must have at least been in favour of the coup. "The role of the king was critical in this crisis," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak
Thitinan Pongsudhirak
Thitinan Pongsudhirak is a Thai political scientist and a Professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. Thitinan completed his PhD from the London School of Economics. He completed an M.A. from the School of Advanced International Studies of the Johns Hopkins University and B.A...
of Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
, adding that "This coup was nothing short of Thaksin versus the King. He is widely seen as having implicitly endorsed the coup." Thitinan said he believed the King had allowed the coup to take place as it was the best option available. "What we were heading for otherwise was violence in the streets," he said.
Sulak Sivaraksa
Sulak Sivaraksa
Sulak Sivaraksa [] is founder and director of the Thai NGO “Sathirakoses-Nagapradeepa Foundation”, named after two authorities on Thai culture, Sathirakoses and Nagapradeepa...
, a well-known social critic, said, "Without his involvement, the coup would have been impossible." Sulak added that the King is "very skilful. He never becomes obviously involved. If this coup goes wrong, Sonthi
Sonthi Boonyaratglin
General Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
will get the blame, but whatever happens, the King will only get praise."
The Bangkok correspondent of The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
, Peter Alford, wrote: "The King's overriding commitment has always been to social stability… and by December last year, he had clearly lost any faith in Thaksin's capacity to govern without wedging the country apart… All Prem need do is refrain from criticising the coup… for almost all Thais to believe they know the King's will."
On April 13, 2008, the Asia Sentinel writes: "Never mind elections, the fate of Thaksin's proxy party could be decided, yet again, by Thailand's royalist judges and generals. Thailand's proxy war between loyalists to deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Bangkok's royalist elite is stirring once again, with the outcome as uncertain as ever."
National reactions
The coup occurred after nearly two years of escalating anti-Thaksin sentiment, particularly in Bangkok. Even long-standing rural supporters of Thaksin reported increasing frustration at the tensions caused by the Thailand political crisis 2005-2006Thailand political crisis 2005-2006
In 2005 and 2006, a series of events occurred in Thailand as a result of an unrest with Thaksin Shinawatra that was supported by Sondhi Limthongkul and his coalitions...
.
Public support for the coup has been widely aired and published whilst public expression of opinion against the coup has been limited by the military control over the media, the ban on protests and political activity, and the arrest of some Cabinet members by the junta. Protest has also arisen from both pro- and anti- Thaksin supporters and is directed against the use of military power to resolve a political stalemate. Protest is also limited following the king's endorsement of the coup and the junta's use of a royal decree that legitimizes the coup. See also Censorship in Thailand
Censorship in Thailand
Freedom of speech in Thailand was guaranteed in the articles 39, 40, 41 in the 1997 Constitution.According to those articles, censorship may be imposed to preserve national security, maintain public order, preserve the rights of others, protect public morals, and prevent criticism of the royal...
.
Reactions from the Thai Rak Thai and its supporters
With Thaksin and most of the Thai Rak ThaiThai Rak Thai
The Thai Rak Thai Party was a Thai political party that was officially banned on May 30, 2007, by the Constitutional Court of Thailand due to violations of electoral laws during the 2006 legislative elections. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under Prime Minister and its founder Thaksin...
-party leaders in London and some of its top executives in detention, the reaction of the TRT has been minimal. Several former party leaders believe the party will have to be dissolved. Former Khon Kaen MP Prajak Kaewklaharn said "When we have no leader and no executives, the party cannot continue"
A former TRT MP from Udon Thani, Thirachai Saenkaew, called for the junta to allow party-leader Thaksin Shinawatra to contest the next election. Thirachai claimed that TRT supporters wanted Thaksin to return to politics after the political reform.
Former Udon Thani MP Theerachai Saenkaew said his constituents would still vote for Thaksin and his party at the next general election. "Following the normalisation of the political situation, democratic rule should move forward in accordance with the voice of the people," Theerachai said.
Former Sakon Nakhon MP Chalermchai Ulankul a member of a faction allied with Suchart Tancharoen, a key TRT figure said he and others might be unemployed for about a year. However, he said his group was "firm" and preparing to run in the election next year. "As long as the Thai Rak Thai Party is not dissolved, we can't say we will move to be under any other party. However, I don't know who will continue the TRT."
Nearly two weeks after the coup, TRT's deputy leader Sonthaya Kuenpluem and his 20-member faction resigned from the party. Somsak Thepsuthin, another TRT's deputy leader said he and his Wan Nam Yom faction which has about 80 members would also submit their resignation. The move comes after the CDR issued an order banning from political activities for five years all executive members of a party that has been dissolved. TRT is currently under investigation and could be dissolved for hiring smaller party during the April 2006 election.
On Tuesday 2 October ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and former Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusipitak resigned from Thai Rak Thai Party.
Reactions from grass-root supporters who lack political organisation have been muted. A woman who benefited from Thaksin populist policies
Thaksinomics
Thaksinomics is a term used to refer to the economic set of policies of Thaksin Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001-2006. There has been considerable controversy over the role Thaksinomics has played in Thailand's recovery from the 1997 Asian financial crisis...
said "He gave me a chance to keep my daughter alive. He gave us food when we were in need. Now that he's been chased out, the poor have lost their closest friend.'"
Public support
A group of lecturers and students from Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon briefly held a rally in front of Army headquarters to urge their counterparts from Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
and Thammasat Universities
Thammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
not to be opposed to the coup. Many students from Chulalongkorn University also supported the coup.
The Campaign for Popular Democracy, which coordinates 32 civic groups, 6 universities and 169 NGOs, came out in support of the coup, as did several politicians, including former Senator Kraisak Choonhavan
Kraisak Choonhavan
Kraisak Choonhavan is a Thai politician. He was a member of the Senate for Nakhon Ratchasima Province from 2000 till 2006.Born as son of former prime minister General Chatichai Choonhavan and Than Phu Ying Bunruen Choonhavan, Kraisak received a Bachelor Degree in International Relations at the...
. Kraisak, whose father Chatichai Choonhavan
Chatichai Choonhavan
General Chatichai Choonhavan was the Prime Minister of Thailand from 1988 to 1991. He was the only son of Field Marshal Phin Choonhavan, and is of Thai Chinese descent with ancestry from Chenghai District...
had been deposed by a coup in 1991, said, "This is the first coup where I don't have to watch my back."
A demonstration also occurred in front of the UN Building in New York City in support of the coup.
Public disapproval
Former prime minister Chuan LeekpaiChuan Leekpai
Chuan Leekpai was the Prime Minister of Thailand from September 20, 1992 to May 19, 1995 and again from November 9, 1997 to February 9, 2001. A third-generation Thai Chinese, Chuan was born in Trang province in a grass-roofed house. The walls of his family's house were woven from strips of...
said of the events, "As politicians, we do not support any kind of coup, but during the past five years, the government of Thaksin created several conditions that forced the military to stage the coup. Thaksin has caused the crisis in the country."
Anand Panyarachun
Anand Panyarachun
Anand Panyarachun was Thailand's Prime Minister twice, between 1991–1992 and once again in 1992. He was effective in initiating economic and political reforms, one of which was the drafting of Thailand's "Peoples' Constitution", which was promulgated in 1997 and abrogated in 2006...
, one of Thailand's most respected intellectuals, head of drafting committee of the 1997 Constitution
Constitution of Thailand
The Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand is the supreme law of Thailand. Since the change from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional democracy in 1932, Thailand has had 17 charters and constitutions, reflecting the high degree of political instability and frequency of military coups faced...
, and former coup-installed Prime Minister, noted his criticism of the coup in an interview with the Far Eastern Economic Review
Far Eastern Economic Review
The Far Eastern Economic Review was an English language Asian news magazine started in 1946. It printed its final issue in December 2009. The Hong Kong-based business magazine was originally published weekly...
.
However, Anand later qualified his disapproval, by noting that "A coup d'état has a different meaning in the Thai context," and blaming the coup on Thaksin, "Over the past five years Thaksin and his party have become too powerful. They have consolidated their hold over the government machinery and certain sectors of the armed forces and parliament. So I think it's a more precarious situation."
Other prominent academics also voiced disapproval of the coup, including Pasuk Pongpaijitr, Chaiwat Satha-anand, and Giles Ungphakorn.
Leader of the Democrat Party
Democrat Party (Thailand)
The Democrat Party is Thailand's oldest political party and was the main coalition government party of the 23rd House of Representatives of Thailand. The Democrat Party's current leader is Abhisit Vejjajiva, incumbent opposition leader and former Prime Minister. The party upholds a conservative...
Abhisit Vejjajiva
Abhisit Vejjajiva
Abhisit Vejjajiva , , ; born Mark Abhisit Vejjajiva; 3 August 1964 in Newcastle upon Tyne) is a Thai politician who was the 27th Prime Minister of Thailand from 2008 to 2011 and is the current leader of the Democrat Party...
voiced displeasure at the coup hours just before all political activities were banned:
Other Democrat Party leaders, like Chuan Leekpai
Chuan Leekpai
Chuan Leekpai was the Prime Minister of Thailand from September 20, 1992 to May 19, 1995 and again from November 9, 1997 to February 9, 2001. A third-generation Thai Chinese, Chuan was born in Trang province in a grass-roofed house. The walls of his family's house were woven from strips of...
and Korn Chatikavanij
Korn Chatikavanij
Korn Chatikavanij is a Thai Democrat Party politician and former investment banker. He was Finance Minister under Abhisit Vejjajiva.-Early life:...
expressed displeasure over the coup, but blamed Thaksin.
Several student groups also stated disapproval at the coup. Signs were set up and demonstrations organized to protest it. However, no unified multi-university statement of disapproval was made.
Reports on the numbers, extent and nature of public demonstrations against the coup and the military government are often contingent on national media whose freedom of speech is limited by the censure imposed by the CDRM. Organised local opposition to the coup was muted by a junta ban against assemblies of more than 5 people. International protests against the coup were scattered, with anti-coup demonstrators protesting in front of the Thai Consulates in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
.
Democracy Monument, 20 September
Activist Chalard WorachatChalard Worachat
Chalard Worachat is a Thai activist. His 1992 hunger strike helped bring down the military government. His 1994 hunger strike forced the government of Chuan Leekpai to establish a committee to amend the constitution of Thailand. Following the 2006 Thailand coup d'état, he was arrested by military...
and former MP Thawee Kraikup held a protest against the junta at the Democracy Monument the day after the coup. Thawee held up a sign saying "Fasting
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
in Protest Against the Destroyer of Democracy." Military forces arrived soon afterwards and arrested Chalard at 12.30. Thawee refused to stop his protest and was arrested 3 hours later. Their fate is not known.
Siam Center, 22 September
The 2006 Thai coup d'état took place on Tuesday 19 September 2006, when the Royal Thai Army staged a coup d'étatCoup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
against the elected caretaker government
Caretaker government
Caretaker government is a type of government that rules temporarily. A caretaker government is often set up following a war until stable democratic rule can be restored, or installed, in which case it is often referred to as a provisional government...
of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Thailand
The Prime Minister of Thailand is the head of government of Thailand. The Prime Minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Revolution of 1932, when the country became a constitutional monarchy....
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
. The coup d'état, which was Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
's first non-constitutional change of government in fifteen years, followed a year-long political crisis
Thailand political crisis 2005-2006
In 2005 and 2006, a series of events occurred in Thailand as a result of an unrest with Thaksin Shinawatra that was supported by Sondhi Limthongkul and his coalitions...
involving Thaksin, his allies and political opponents and occurred less than a month before nation-wide House elections
Thailand legislative election, October 2006
After Thailand's April 2006 elections were declared invalid by the Constitutional Court, it was decided that new elections would be held on 15 October 2006...
were originally scheduled to be held. It has been widely reported in Thailand and elsewhere that General Prem Tinsulanonda
Prem Tinsulanonda
General Prem Tinsulanonda is a retired Thai military officer who served as Prime Minister of Thailand from March 3, 1980 to August 4, 1988. He now serves as the Head of the Privy Council of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej....
, Chairman of the Privy Council was the mastermind of the Coup. The military cancelled the upcoming elections, abrogated the Constitution
Constitution of Thailand
The Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand is the supreme law of Thailand. Since the change from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional democracy in 1932, Thailand has had 17 charters and constitutions, reflecting the high degree of political instability and frequency of military coups faced...
, dissolved Parliament
National Assembly of Thailand
The National Assembly of Thailand or the Parliament of Thailand is the legislative branch of the government of Thailand. The National Assembly of Thailand is a bicameral body, consisting of two chambers: the upper house, , and the lower house,...
and Constitutional Court
Constitutional Court of Thailand
The Constitutional Court of Thailand is an independent Thai court originally established under the 1997 Constitution with jurisdiction over the constitutionality of parliamentary acts, royal decrees, draft legislation, as well as the appointment and removal of public officials and issues regarding...
, banned protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
s and all political activities, suppressed and censored
Censorship in Thailand
Freedom of speech in Thailand was guaranteed in the articles 39, 40, 41 in the 1997 Constitution.According to those articles, censorship may be imposed to preserve national security, maintain public order, preserve the rights of others, protect public morals, and prevent criticism of the royal...
the media
Media of Thailand
Thailand has a well-developed media sector, especially by Southeast Asian standards. Compared to other countries in the region, the Thai media have historically been relatively free, although the government has always exercised considerable control, especially over broadcast media...
, declared martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
nationwide, and arrested Cabinet members.
The new rulers, led by general Sonthi Boonyaratglin
Sonthi Boonyaratglin
General Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
and organised in a Council for Democratic Reform (CDR), issued a pronunciamiento
Pronunciamiento
A pronunciamiento is a form of military rebellion or coup d'état peculiar to Spain and the Spanish American republics, particularly in the 19th century...
on 21 September setting out their reasons for taking power and giving a commitment to restore democratic government within one year. However, the CDR also announced that after elections and the establishment of a democratic government, the council would be transformed into a permanent Council of National Security whose future role in Thai politics was not explained. The CNS later drafted an interim charter and appointed retired General Surayud Chulanont
Surayud Chulanont
General Surayud Chulanont is a Thai political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's Interim Government between 2006 and 2008...
as Premier. Martial law was lifted in 41 of Thailand's 76 provinces on 26 January 2007 but remained in place in another 35 provinces.
Elections were held on 23 December 2007, after a military-appointed tribunal outlawed the Thai Rak Thai
Thai Rak Thai
The Thai Rak Thai Party was a Thai political party that was officially banned on May 30, 2007, by the Constitutional Court of Thailand due to violations of electoral laws during the 2006 legislative elections. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under Prime Minister and its founder Thaksin...
party of Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
and banned TRT executives from contesting in elections for 5 years.
Earlier planning and rumours
Sonthi Boonyaratglin
General Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
issued assurances that the military would not seize power. On 20 July 2006, around a hundred middle-ranking army officers said to be supporters of Thaksin
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
were reassigned by the army high command, fuelling rumors that the army was divided between supporters and opponents of the prime minister. In July 2006, 3rd Army Area Commander Saprang Kalayanamitr gave an interview where he stated that Thai politics was below standard and that the Kingdom's leadership was weak. He also claimed that Thailand had a false democracy. The public was becoming alarmed with each fresh rumor. On 15 July 2006 a democratic activist, Tavivoot Chulavachana, posted an open letter in Thailand's most popular political webboard, citing military sources, saying the military and Sondhi Limthongkul were conspiring to stage a takeover to rid the country of Thaksin, and then return power to the people—after a period of cleansing the country. In August 2006, there were reports of tank movements near Bangkok, but the military attributed these to a scheduled exercise. In early September, Thai police arrested five army officers, all members of Thailand's counter-insurgency command
Internal Security Operations Command
The Internal Security Operations Command is a unit of the Thai military devoted to national security issues. It was responsible for suppression of leftist groups during the 1970s and 1980s during which it was implicated in numerous atrocities against activists and civilians. The modern ISOC was...
, after intercepting one of the officers with a bomb in a car allegedly targeting the prime minister's residence. Three of the suspects were released after the coup.
In December 2006, former National Security Council head Prasong Soonsiri
Prasong Soonsiri
Prasong Soonsiri is a Thai politician, and former Royal Thai Air Force squadron leader, Thai Foreign Minister, and head of the Thai National Security Council. Prasong has been a long-time critic of Thaksin Shinawatra since Thaksin's entry into politics in 1994...
claimed that he and five other senior military figures had been planning a coup as early as July. He claimed that Sonthi was one of those figures, but that Surayud and Prem were not involved at the time.
Day one (Tuesday)
On the evening of 19 September 2006, the Thai military and police overthrew the elected government of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Thailand
The Prime Minister of Thailand is the head of government of Thailand. The Prime Minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Revolution of 1932, when the country became a constitutional monarchy....
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
. At the time, the premier was in New York City for a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
.
- At 18:30, Royal Thai Army Special Forces units moved from Lopburi provinceLopburi ProvinceLop Buri is one of the central provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Phetchabun, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, Saraburi, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Ang Thong, Sing Buri and Nakhon Sawan.-Geography:...
to Bangkok. At the same time, Prem TinsulanondaPrem TinsulanondaGeneral Prem Tinsulanonda is a retired Thai military officer who served as Prime Minister of Thailand from March 3, 1980 to August 4, 1988. He now serves as the Head of the Privy Council of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej....
, Privy Council President, had an audience with King Bhumibol AdulyadejBhumibol AdulyadejBhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
, reportedly concerning a merit-making ceremony for Bua Kitiyakara, the King's mother-in-law. - By 21:00, the Special Forces units arrived in Bangkok.
- Around 21:30, Army-owned television broadcaster Channel 5 ceased scheduled programming and aired songs authored by King Bhumibol. By this time, rumours started spreading that the military had arrested Deputy Prime Minister in charge of national security Chitchai WannasathitChitchai WannasathitChitchai Wannasathit was the caretaker prime minister of Thailand from April to May 2006, when Thaksin Shinawatra took a break from his duties as prime minister following a disappointing showing in elections. Thaksin returned to his duties after more than a month...
and Defence Minister Thammarak Isaragura na AyuthayaThammarak Isaragura na AyuthayaThammarak Isarangkura na Ayuthaya is a former Thai military officer, Member of Parliament, co-founder of the Thai Rak Thai Party, and former defence minister...
, and that Thaksin's son had left the country. National radio, terrestrial TV, cable TV and some satellite broadcasters were taken off air shortly after (see below). - At 21:40, police commandosSpecial forcesSpecial forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
arrived at the residence of Thaksin. Army tanks soon took position throughout Bangkok. - At 22:20, Thaksin declared a state of emergency by telephone from New York. He transferred General Sonthi BoonyaratglinSonthi BoonyaratglinGeneral Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
from his post as Army Commander to a position at the Prime Minister's Office and appointed Supreme Commander General Ruangroj MahasaranonRuangroj MahasaranonGeneral Ruangroj Mahasaranon is the Supreme Commander General of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Following the 2006 Thailand coup d'état, ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra attempted to put Ruangroj in power until Thaksin returned. However, Ruangroj was later named the Chief Advisor to the...
to take control of the crisis. His declaration, broadcast on television, was cut immediately afterwards. - At 23:00 Thawinan KhongkranThawinan KhongkranThawinan Khongkran is a Thai celebrity. She was Miss University of Asia 1986 and Miss Asia-Pacific 1987 and remains famous in Thailand....
, Miss AsiaMiss Asia PageantThe Miss Asia Pageant , is organized by the Asia Television Limited , and they have organized this event since 1985. The contest was stopped from the year of 2000 through 2003, and relaunched in 2004....
1987 and head of Public Relations for Army-owned television station Channel 5, announced on TV that military and police units had Bangkok and the surrounding areas under control:
Military junta
A junta or military junta is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term derives from the Spanish language junta meaning committee, specifically a board of directors...
initially called the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy
Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy
The Council for National Security or, in brief, CNS , formerly known as the Council for Democratic Reform or, in brief, CDR , also translated as the Council for Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarchy, was the name of the military regime that governed Thailand following the 2006...
(CDRM) later took the name of Council for Democratic Reform to rule out suspicions about the role of the monarchy.
- At 23:50, the CDR issued a second statement explaining the reasons for the coup d'état and wished "to reaffirm that it has no intention to become the administrators of the country." The Council promised to retain the king as head of stateHead of StateA head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and to return administrative power to the Thai people "as quickly as possible."
- By 00:39 a third statement suspended the constitutionConstitution of ThailandThe Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand is the supreme law of Thailand. Since the change from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional democracy in 1932, Thailand has had 17 charters and constitutions, reflecting the high degree of political instability and frequency of military coups faced...
and dissolved the Cabinet, both houses of ParliamentNational Assembly of ThailandThe National Assembly of Thailand or the Parliament of Thailand is the legislative branch of the government of Thailand. The National Assembly of Thailand is a bicameral body, consisting of two chambers: the upper house, , and the lower house,...
, and the Constitutional CourtConstitutional Court of ThailandThe Constitutional Court of Thailand is an independent Thai court originally established under the 1997 Constitution with jurisdiction over the constitutionality of parliamentary acts, royal decrees, draft legislation, as well as the appointment and removal of public officials and issues regarding...
.
Foreign news channels, such as BBC World
BBC World
BBC World News is the BBC's international news and current affairs television channel. It has the largest audience of any BBC channel in the world...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
and Bloomberg Television
Bloomberg Television
Bloomberg Television is a 24-hour global network broadcasting business and financial news. It is distributed globally, reaching over 200 million homes worldwide. It is owned and operated by Bloomberg L.P...
, were reported to have been taken off air, although foreign broadcasters were still able to broadcast from Bangkok. Telecommunications networks (telephone and the Internet) were operational.
The Army declared martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
nationwide, ordered all soldiers to report to their barracks and banned troop movements unauthorised by the CDR. Television footage showed heavily armed troops in M113
M113 armored personnel carrier
The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier that has formed the backbone of the United States Army's mechanized infantry units from the time of its first fielding in Vietnam in April 1962. The M113 was the most widely used armored vehicle of the U.S...
armored personnel carriers and M998 HMMWV vehicles on the streets of the city. Many soldiers and military vehicles wore strips of yellow cloth as a symbol of loyalty to the king, whose royal color is yellow.
Junta commander Sonthi Boonyaratglin
Sonthi Boonyaratglin
General Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
confirmed that Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit
Chitchai Wannasathit
Chitchai Wannasathit was the caretaker prime minister of Thailand from April to May 2006, when Thaksin Shinawatra took a break from his duties as prime minister following a disappointing showing in elections. Thaksin returned to his duties after more than a month...
and Defence Minister Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya
Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya
Thammarak Isarangkura na Ayuthaya is a former Thai military officer, Member of Parliament, co-founder of the Thai Rak Thai Party, and former defence minister...
had been arrested. High-ranked civil servants were ordered to report to the Council while government offices and banks would be closed on 20 September.
A few hours after news of the coup broke, BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
reported that the leader of the coup would be meeting with the King later in the day, although it was unclear at that time what King Bhumibol's position on the coup was.
Day two (Wednesday)
- At 01:30 (20:30 UTC) on 20 September it was announced that the Prime Minister had cancelled his speech at the United Nations. The prime minister watched his downfall on television from a hotel in New York. Tom Kruesopon, an TRT member and an adviser Thaksin, said the premier "has not given up his power. He is not seeking asylum."
- At 09:16 General Sonthi Boonyaratglin announced in a television conference that the military had needed to seize power in order to unite the nation after months of political turmoil:
- At 12:14 Coup authorities demanded the cooperation of mass media, and later asked the Information and Communications Technology ministry (ICT) to control the distribution of all media information deemed harmful to the provisional military council.
- By 14:50, the 1997 Constitution1997 Constitution of ThailandFor legal and historical context, see the Constitutions of Thailand articlethumb|275px|Bangkok's [[Democracy Monument, Bangkok|Democracy Monument]]: a representation of the 1932 Constitution sits on top of two golden offering bowls above a turret....
of the Kingdom of Thailand (also known as the "People's Constitution") was removed from the website of the National Assembly of ThailandNational Assembly of ThailandThe National Assembly of Thailand or the Parliament of Thailand is the legislative branch of the government of Thailand. The National Assembly of Thailand is a bicameral body, consisting of two chambers: the upper house, , and the lower house,...
.
The country's northern border with Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
and Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
was closed for a couple of days.
In an interview given before leaving New York for London with Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai
Surakiart Sathirathai
Surakiart Sathirathai was, until September 19 2006, a Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand overseeing Foreign Affairs, Education and Culture.-Family and early career:...
, spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee, and his personal assistant Padung Limcharoenrat, Thaksin Shinawatra said:
Thaksin was escorted to his home in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
where he joined his daughter Pinthongta, who is studying in London. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said that Thaksin's trip was a private visit.
- At 15:35, junta leader Sonthi BoonyaratglinSonthi BoonyaratglinGeneral Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
announced that the military had no plan to seize the personal assets of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and no plans to seize shares of Shin CorporationShin CorporationShin Corporation is one of the largest conglomerates in Thailand.- History :It was founded in 1983 as Shinawatra Computer by Thaksin Shinawatra, former Prime Minister of Thailand, and took on its current name in 1999, by using the first four letters of his last name...
back from Temasek HoldingsTemasek HoldingsTemasek Holdings is an investment company owned by the government of Singapore. With an international staff of 380 people, it manages a portfolio of about S$193 billion at end of March 2011, focused primarily in Asia...
. Early in 2006, Thaksin sold his family's shares in Shin Corporation to Temasek.
- At 20:17 General Sonthi announced in a television statement that King Bhumibol Adulyadej had endorsed him as the head of the interim governing council. He also promised to restore democracy in a year's time.
Late in the evening, a spokesman of the CDR announced that the king has issued a royal command to appoint Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin as the CDR president.
Contradicting earlier announcements, the CDR issued a 13th statement maintaining the status of the newly selected Election Commission and adding that the EC ACT would organize the election of local administrations and councils.
The Council for Democratic Reform then issued its seventh order dividing responsibilities into four divisions as part of responsibility sharing. The four divisions are the CDR, the secretariat, the advisory division, and the special affairs division.
Day three (Thursday)
Potjaman Shinawatra
Khunying Potjaman Na Pombejra , formerly Potjaman Shinawatra and born as Soypetpotjaman Damapong , , is the ex-wife of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Potjaman played a key role in the development of Thaksin's commercial enterprises in the 1980s...
) were also seen loading assault weapons from the CSD in vehicles that went off to an unknown destination.
In the afternoon, Thailand's coup leader ordered media executives to army headquarters to tell them to stop carrying expression of public opinion following the military takeover. The move came after the military imposed strict controls on the media and said they would block information deemed harmful to the provisional military council now in control of Thailand. The army official said the normal television programming will be resumed but the council would begin making its own televised announcements every two hours starting from 11:00 am (0400 GMT).
RTA Troops and tanks began the process of reducing their presence at key government facilities. Four tanks remained at Government House early Thursday, down from 10 the previous day, and fewer armed soldiers are on guard. "As of now we have only two companies of troops — some 50 to 60 — deployed at Government House but total withdrawal is up to the army commander because there is not yet complete trust in the situation," Lieutenant Romklao Thuwatham.
Thailand's coup leader ordered two more top aides, Newin Chidchob, the minister attached to the premier's office, and Yongyuth Tiyapairat, minister of natural resources and environment, to deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
to report to the military, one day after detaining his senior deputy. "They must report themselves to the Council for Political Reform at Army Headquarters" at noon (0500 GMT) Thursday, the order said, referring to the provisional body the coup leaders have set up.
Ousted deputy prime minister Somkid Jatusripitak arrived at the Don Muang International Airport returning from France.
The chartered Thai Airways jet that took ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
to New York and later to London returned to the Don Muang Military Airport after being diverted from Bangkok's commercial airport. Onboard the plane were some 20 members of the press corps and low-ranking officials who had travelled with him. 10 heavily armed commandos immediately surrounded the plane and conducted an inspection. All were released after their passports were stamped.
Ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra called for new snap elections in his homeland and confirmed he is bowing out of politics, urging "national reconciliation" after the coup in Bangkok. In a statement issued in London, Thaksin said he will devote himself to development and possibly charity work.
Timing of the coup
Columnist Thanong Khanthong of The Nation claimed that Gen. Sonthi acted to prevent an imminent military coup by Thaksin. The columnist contended that Thaksin intended to use the political rally planned by the People's Alliance for DemocracyPeople's Alliance for Democracy
The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...
at the Royal Plaza on Wednesday 20 September to trigger violence and then declare a state of emergency and place the country under martial law. General Sonthi would have learned from an intelligence report that Yongyuth Tiyapairat and Newin Chidchob were planning to organise a counter protest with the support of the Forestry Police
Thahan Phran
The Thahan Phran is a paramilitary light infantry force which patrols the borders of Thailand and is part of the Royal Thai Army...
("Hunter Soldiers" or Rangers) armed with HK33 rifles and acted before the bloodshed was set to take place. On Friday, the Rangers were in the process of being disarmed. Both Newin and Yongyuth were later detained, the latter being accused of mobilizing the Forestry Police. Coup-planner Prasong Soonsiri
Prasong Soonsiri
Prasong Soonsiri is a Thai politician, and former Royal Thai Air Force squadron leader, Thai Foreign Minister, and head of the Thai National Security Council. Prasong has been a long-time critic of Thaksin Shinawatra since Thaksin's entry into politics in 1994...
later denied that Thaksin planned his own coup.
However, fellow The Nation columnist Chang Noi called Thanong Khanthong's claims "a myth" that had "achieved the status of 'fact'." Chang Noi noted the absolute lack of any corroborating evidence to support the claims of imminent violence as well as the lack of opposing troop movements on the night of the coup. Chang Noi called the myth a "salve" for people "surprised and a little ashamed to find themselves supporting a coup. This myth makes the coup reactive and defensive." He also noted that General Saprang Kalayanamitr
Saprang Kalayanamitr
General Saprang Kalayanamitr is a retired officer of the Royal Thai Army, Assistant Secretary-General of the Council for National Security, Commander of the junta's 14,000-man anti-protest force, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Airports of Thailand , and also Chairman of the Boards of TOT...
, commander of the Third Army, claimed that planning for the coup had begun 7 months in advance, thus contradicting claims that the coup was executed as a reactive pre-emptive strike against violence and Sonthi's who had said "hundreds of thousands" of pro- and anti-Thaksin supporters planned to descend on Bangkok.
General Sonthi later said in an interview that the coup was originally planned for 20 September, to coincide with a major anti-Thaksin rally also planned for that day. He cited the "Portuguese example
5 October 1910 revolution
The revolution of 1910 was a republican coup d'état that occurred in Portugal on 5 October 1910, which deposed King Manuel II and established the Portuguese First Republic....
" in which anti-government rallies coincided with a successful military rebellion which overthrew King Manuel II of Portugal
Manuel II of Portugal
Manuel II , named Manuel Maria Filipe Carlos Amélio Luís Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Francisco de Assis Eugénio de Bragança Orleães Sabóia e Saxe-Coburgo-Gotha — , was the last King of Portugal from 1908 to 1910, ascending the throne after the assassination of his father and elder brother Manuel...
and established the Portuguese First Republic
Portuguese First Republic
The Portuguese First Republic spans a complex 16 year period in the history of Portugal, between the end of the period of constitutional monarchy marked by the 5 October 1910 revolution and the 28 May coup d'état of 1926...
. The coup was moved up to 19 September, when Thaksin was still in New York. Sonthi also stated that the coup was not an urgent measure mooted just a couple of days earlier. Sonthi also claimed that during a lunch that Thaksin had with the commanders of the armed forces, Thaksin had asked him "Will you stage a coup?" Sonthi replied: "I will." This contradicted earlier public statements where he denied that the military would stage a coup.
The Nation noted that the timing of the coup contains many instances of the number nine, a highly auspicious number in Thai numerology
Numerology
Numerology is any study of the purported mystical relationship between a count or measurement and life. It has many systems and traditions and beliefs...
. The coup occurred at the 19th day of the 9th month of Buddhist Era 2549. Coup leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin made a major public announcement on the morning after the coup at 9.39 am. The Nation earlier indicated 9:16 as the time for Sonthi's press conference and it should be noted that the Buddhist calendar
Buddhist calendar
The Buddhist calendar is used on mainland Southeast Asia in the countries of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Burma and Sri Lanka in several related forms. It is a lunisolar calendar having months that are alternately 29 and 30 days, with an intercalated day and a 30-day month added at regular intervals...
is in line with the Gregorian calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
only since 1941.
Coup financing
The junta was accused of paying Army officers 1.5 billion baht in order to participate in the coup. Junta leader Sonthi Boonyaratkalin stopped short of denying that the military spent money from a secret fund, saying "We certainly needed money for our people's food and other necessary expenses."Causes of the coup
Many causes of the coup were identified, both by the junta as well as by independent observers. Initial reasons stated by the junta were the Thaksin government's alleged creation of an "unprecedented rift in society", corruption, nepotism, interference in independent agencies, and insults to the King. Later reasons stated by junta leaders included Thaksin's alleged vote buying, plans to provoke violence, and weakening of the military.Two months after the coup, the junta issued a white paper
White paper
A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has also come to refer to...
identifying many reasons for the coup, including corruption, abuse of power, lack of integrity, interference in the checks and balances system, human rights violations, and destroying the unity of the people.
Independent analysts identified widely differing reasons for the coup. Thitinan Pongsudhirak
Thitinan Pongsudhirak
Thitinan Pongsudhirak is a Thai political scientist and a Professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. Thitinan completed his PhD from the London School of Economics. He completed an M.A. from the School of Advanced International Studies of the Johns Hopkins University and B.A...
of Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
alleged that the coup was due to conflicts between Thaksin and King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
. Biographer Paul Handley noted that "[the coup masterminds] did not want Thaksin in a position to exert influence on the passing of the Chakri Dynasty mantle to Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn." Giles Ungpakorn of Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
claimed that the coup was due to class conflicts between the rural poor (who supported Thaksin) and the urban elite (who supported the junta).
Photo-timeline of the coup, from dusk to dawn
The scene changed every hour as the coup progressed. Here is how it unfolded after the first tanks rolled in according to the observations of Manik Sethisuwan. Manik was one of a few citizens who was forced to spend the night on the street as his car had run out of gas. According to government laws as of September 2006, it was mandatory for all gas and petrol stations in the city to close-down during the hours of 2200 unto 0500 as a cost-saving measure. Hence he was forced to seek refuge near the international press personnel until it was possible for him to move out, as a result of which he was able to capture most of the event as it unfolded.Outside Thailand
After the coup, Thaksin flew from New York to London, where his daughter was a student. He was later joined by his family. General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said earlier that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra could return to the country, but warned he could face criminal charges. "Any prosecution would proceed under the law, and would depend on the evidence," Sonthi said. However, Privy CouncilorPrivy Council (Thailand)
The Privy Council of Thailand is a body of appointed advisors to the Monarch of Thailand: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The Council, as the Constitution of Thailand stipulates, must be composed of no more than eighteen members...
and interim Prime Minister General Surayud Chulanont
Surayud Chulanont
General Surayud Chulanont is a Thai political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's Interim Government between 2006 and 2008...
later warned against Thaksin's return, calling his return a "threat." "Myself and several other people understand that supporters and opponents will clash on the day that Thaksin returns home. It would be a big commotion," he said.
Deputy Premier Surakiart Sathirathai
Surakiart Sathirathai
Surakiart Sathirathai was, until September 19 2006, a Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand overseeing Foreign Affairs, Education and Culture.-Family and early career:...
was with Thaksin attending the UN General Assembly in New York when the military staged a coup on Tuesday against the prime minister. Surakiart was, at the time, in the hotly contested race to succeed UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
, a Thai official said. "The (new) Thai authorities have reaffirmed their support for Dr Surakiart's candidature for the UNSG," Thai ambassador to the United States Virasakdi Futrakul told AFP. "There's no change. He's still in the race." The former Deputy Premier had left for Bangkok after the Junta took power.
Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya
Thanong Bidaya
Thanong Bidaya is a Thai politician and deposed Finance Minister. After the military overthrew the government of Thaksin Shinawatra, he remained in Singapore where he was attending the annual meeting of the World Bank/IMF....
remained in Singapore where he was attending the annual meeting of the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
/IMF
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
. Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak
Somkid Jatusripitak
Somkid Jatusripitak , Chinese: 曾汉光, Thai politician, is a former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce of Thailand. He was a leader and cofounder of the populist Thai Rak Thai party. His wife, Anurachanee Jatusripitak, teaches at Chulalongkorn University...
remained in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
but returned to Bangkok on Thursday. Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon
Kantathi Suphamongkhon
Dr. Kantathi Suphamongkhon is the 39th Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand. He served as Foreign Minister during the administration of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from 11 March 2005 until the military coup d'état on 19 September 2006.Suphamongkhon is now the University of...
flew from Paris, where he was attending the Thai-France Cultural Exhibition presided over by HRH Princess Sirindhorn
Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is the second daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Thais commonly refer to her as Phra Thep, meaning "princess angel." Because her title in Thai is the female equivalent of the title held by her brother, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, she is informally referred...
, to Germany, before returning to Bangkok.
Agriculture Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan
Sudarat Keyuraphan
Sudarat Keyuraphan is a Thai politician and the deputy leader of the Thai Rak Thai party. She served as the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand in the Thai Rak Thai government until its ousting in the September 2006 coup.Born in Bangkok, Sudarat is a graduate of Chulalongkorn...
was reported to have fled to Paris with her family. Thai Rak Thai
Thai Rak Thai
The Thai Rak Thai Party was a Thai political party that was officially banned on May 30, 2007, by the Constitutional Court of Thailand due to violations of electoral laws during the 2006 legislative elections. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under Prime Minister and its founder Thaksin...
party executive and former Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana left the country for Germany.
Arrested or detained by the junta
Deputy Prime Minister in charge of national security Chitchai WannasathitChitchai Wannasathit
Chitchai Wannasathit was the caretaker prime minister of Thailand from April to May 2006, when Thaksin Shinawatra took a break from his duties as prime minister following a disappointing showing in elections. Thaksin returned to his duties after more than a month...
was arrested after the coup and detained at the Army Command. He was detained on Wednesday and is now being held at a guesthouse on the northern outskirts of Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, according to army spokesman Colonel Acar Tiproj. Defence Minister Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya
Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya
Thammarak Isarangkura na Ayuthaya is a former Thai military officer, Member of Parliament, co-founder of the Thai Rak Thai Party, and former defence minister...
is in hiding. His whereabouts are unknown. Former Secretary-General to the Premier Prommin Lertsuridej
Prommin Lertsuridej
Prommin Lertsuridej, M.D. was a Thai politician, former student leader, former Secretary General to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, former Deputy Prime Minister in charge of economic affairs, and former Minister of Energy in the Thaksin government...
and Labor Ministry Permanent Secretary Somchai Wongsawat (who is Thaksin's brother-in-law) were also placed under arrest on the second floor of the Army Command building. The Secretary-General was last reported being detained at the same guesthouse as the Deputy Chitchai Wannasathit
Chitchai Wannasathit
Chitchai Wannasathit was the caretaker prime minister of Thailand from April to May 2006, when Thaksin Shinawatra took a break from his duties as prime minister following a disappointing showing in elections. Thaksin returned to his duties after more than a month...
.
Natural Resources and Environmental Minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat and Deputy Agriculture Minister Newin Chidchop
Newin Chidchop
Newin Chidchob is a Thai politician. As a member of several political parties, Newin and his allies eventually joined the Thai Rak Thai Party of Thaksin Shinawatra in 2005. Until the 2006 Thai coup d'état, he served as a member of the Parliament for Buriram Province and was a Cabinet minister with...
were ordered to report themselves to the junta by noon Thursday. The junta did not specify what punishment they would receive if they failed to report. At the time, there were reports that both Yongyuth and Newin were in London. Troops raided Yongyuth's houses in Mae Chan district of Chiang Rai province (at 10.35 Wednesday) and Bangkok (Wednesday night), but did not find him. Both Yongyuth and Newin reported themselves at Army Headquarters on Thursday, and were detained.
Chidchai Wannasathit, Newin Chidchop, Yongyuth Tiyapairat, and Prommin Lertsuridet were freed after the Interim Charter was promulgated. The status of Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya was unknown.
In Thailand
Several party executives including Chaturon ChaisangChaturon Chaisang
Chaturon Chaisang is a Thai politician and former Deputy Prime Minister. He was a leader of the New Aspiration Party, and became an ally of Thaksin Shinawatra when New Aspiration merged into Thai Rak Thai after the 2001 general elections.- Education :...
, Phumtham Wechayachai and Suranand Vejjajiva were reported to still be in Thailand and not arrested by the junta. TRT MP Veera Musikapong was also at liberty. Party Deputy and Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit
Suriya Jungrungreangkit
Suriya Jungrungreangkit is a Thai politician of the Thai Rak Thai party. Since 2002 he is the Minister of Transport of Thailand...
and former Social Development and Human Security Minister Watana Muangsook were reported to be staying in the country at an unidentified location.
Civil servants, government agencies and family
The junta initiated the removal from the civil service of people appointed by the Thaksin government as well as his former classmates at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory SchoolArmed Forces Academies Preparatory School, Thailand
The Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School or AFAPS is a Thai military academy, providing an education equivalent to the last three years of senior high school . It is under the command of the Education Department of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters...
. Several military officers were transferred to inactive posts. Also removed were 18 senior police officers which the junta claimed could pose a threat to national security if they were to remain in their current posts. For a list of transferred military and police officers, see Removal from the civil service by the CDR. In early February, Police Commissioner-General Kowit Wattana himself was ousted for investigating military involvement in the 2007 Bangkok bombings.
The purge was completed in the junta's mid-year military reshuffle of April 2007, when all senior officers perceived as loyal to the Thaksin government were removed and replaced with officers trusted by the new regime.
The junta affirmed on 20 September that along with the abolition of the Constitution, the Constitutional Court
Constitutional Court of Thailand
The Constitutional Court of Thailand is an independent Thai court originally established under the 1997 Constitution with jurisdiction over the constitutionality of parliamentary acts, royal decrees, draft legislation, as well as the appointment and removal of public officials and issues regarding...
and other independent organisations set up under the abrogated charter were automatically abolished. However, the status of Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka
Jaruvan Maintaka
Khun Ying Jaruvan Maintaka is the current Auditor-General of the Kingdom of Thailand. She refused to resign her position after the Constitutional Court of Thailand ruled that her nomination was illegal. She is well known for her public criticism of deposed Premier Thaksin Shinawatra...
was maintained by an order of the junta. The same order dissolved the State Audit Commission. She appeared when summoned along with senior government officials by the junta.
Surasit Sangkhapong, director of the Government Lottery Office and an aide of Thaksin resigned to allow Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka
Jaruvan Maintaka
Khun Ying Jaruvan Maintaka is the current Auditor-General of the Kingdom of Thailand. She refused to resign her position after the Constitutional Court of Thailand ruled that her nomination was illegal. She is well known for her public criticism of deposed Premier Thaksin Shinawatra...
to conduct an investigation into an allegation of irregularity.
Pol Col Priewphan Damapong, Deputy Police Commissioner-General and brother-in-law of Thaksin Shinawatra, reported himself to the national police chief in line with the junta's orders.
Thaksin's wife and son, initially reported as having left Thailand for Singapore ahead of the declaration of martial law, were later reported in Thailand. It was suggested they remained to look after the family's finances. On Monday 25 September Pojaman Shinawatra left Bangkok at 1:30 am (1830 GMT) to join her husband in London.
Council for Democratic Reform
The junta ruled with a series of announcements. An early announcement asked the media to call it by its full name, the Council for Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM), rather than just the Council for Democratic Reform (CDR). The junta said that the public might be misled if it wasn't understood that the junta was working "under the Constitutional Monarchy". Later, the junta formally shortened its English name (but not its Thai name) to Council for Democratic Reform (CDR) in order to avoid any suspicions about the role of the monarchy in the coup.The 11th official announcement of the military regime outlined its leadership. It was composed of the leaders of all branches of the Thai military and police.
- Army Commander General Sonthi BoonyaratglinSonthi BoonyaratglinGeneral Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
, named Chief of the Council for Democratic Reform - Navy Commander Admiral Sathiraphan KeyanonSathiraphan KeyanonAdmiral Sathiraphan Keyanon is a Thai naval officer, Commander of the Royal Thai Navy, and a deputy in the military junta that overthrew the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a 2006 military coup...
, named first deputy chief of CDR - Air Force Commander Air Chief Marshal Chalit PookpasukChalit PookpasukAir Chief Marshal Chalit Pookpasuk was Thai air force officer, Commander of the Royal Thai Air Force, and acting chairman of Council for National Security, the junta that overthrew the government of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in the 2006 coup d'état.-Biography:Chalit graduated from...
, named second deputy chief of CDR - Police Commissioner-General Police General Kowit WattanaKowit WattanaKowit Wattana is a Thai Police General and politician. From 2004 to 2007 he was the Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police. In 2008, he was Minister of the Interior, and since 2011 he has been Deputy Prime Minister under Yingluck Shinawatra...
, named third deputy chief of CDR - National Security Council Secretary-General General Winai Phatthiyakul, named Secretary-General of the CDR
- Supreme Commander General Ruangroj MahasaranonRuangroj MahasaranonGeneral Ruangroj Mahasaranon is the Supreme Commander General of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Following the 2006 Thailand coup d'état, ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra attempted to put Ruangroj in power until Thaksin returned. However, Ruangroj was later named the Chief Advisor to the...
, named Chief Adviser to the CDR
On 20 September 2006 (local time in Bangkok), the junta denied that it had appointed a Prime Minister, and noted that General Sonthi Boonyaratglin had the powers of a Premier.
A week after the coup, Sonthi's former classmate General Boonsrang Naimpradit was promoted from Deputy Supreme Commander to the post of Supreme Commander, replacing Ruangroj Mahasaranon
Ruangroj Mahasaranon
General Ruangroj Mahasaranon is the Supreme Commander General of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Following the 2006 Thailand coup d'état, ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra attempted to put Ruangroj in power until Thaksin returned. However, Ruangroj was later named the Chief Advisor to the...
. Junta Secretary General, Winai Phattiyakul, was promoted to the post of Permanent Secretary for Defence.
Gen Sonthi also promoted his fellow classmates and lieutenants in the coup, 1st Army Region Commander Lt-Gen Anupong Paochinda
Anupong Paochinda
General Anupong Paochinda is a former Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army. He held the position from 2007 until his retirement on 30 September 2010....
and 3rd Army Region Commander Lt-Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr
Saprang Kalayanamitr
General Saprang Kalayanamitr is a retired officer of the Royal Thai Army, Assistant Secretary-General of the Council for National Security, Commander of the junta's 14,000-man anti-protest force, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Airports of Thailand , and also Chairman of the Boards of TOT...
, to the post of Assistant Army Commander.
Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin told Reuters news agency :"I can assure you it is impossible that we will control the government. [...] We will be the government's tool to keep peace."
In its 16th announcement, the CDR gave itself the role of parliament. On 22 September, the junta gave Police General Kowit Wattana
Kowit Wattana
Kowit Wattana is a Thai Police General and politician. From 2004 to 2007 he was the Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police. In 2008, he was Minister of the Interior, and since 2011 he has been Deputy Prime Minister under Yingluck Shinawatra...
absolute power over all police matters and named him chair of a new National Police Commission to rewrite the 2004 National Police Bill.
Appointment of advisory committee
The junta ordered 58 prominent civilians to serve as its advisers. However, most of the appointees denied any knowledge of the appointments, with several saying they couldn't serve. "I have said that the coup is wrong, how can I serve as its advisory board?" asked Chaiwat Satha-anand of the Faculty of Political Science of Chulalongkorn UniversityChulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
. Pratheep Ungsongtham Hata, who was appointed to the reconciliation panel, also boycotted the CDR's advisory board, noting that as a democracy advocate, she could not work with the CDR, which took power by unconstitutional means. Pibhob Dhongchai, a leader of the defunct anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy
People's Alliance for Democracy
The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...
, said he could not participate in the reconciliation panel because he was a member of the National Economic and Social Advisory Council, and already had a channel to advise the government.
Pasuk Pongpaichit, an anti-Thaksin economist who had also been appointed, denied that she would serve as an advisor, using as her excuse an impending extended trip to Japan. However, some appointees welcomed their appointments, like Nakharin Mektrairat and Thawee Suraritthikul, the deans of the Faculty of Political Science of Thammasat and Sukhothai Thammathirat University, respectively. When asked by the press why the junta had not informed the appointees of their appointments, the CDR spokesman Lt-Gen Palangoon Klaharn said: "It is not necessary. Some matters are urgent. It is an honour to help the country. I believe that those who have been named will not reject the appointment because we haven't damaged their reputation."
Investigation of the deposed government
The junta established a committee empowered to investigate any projects or acts by members of the Thaksin government and others who were suspected of any irregularities, including personal tax evasion. The committee, chaired by Nam YimyaemNam Yimyaem
Nam Yimyaem is a retired judge of the Supreme Court of Thailand, former deputy Supreme Court President, and currently chairperson of a committee investigating the assets of deposed Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.-April 2006 election:...
, had the authority to freeze the assets of members and families of the Thaksin government accused of corruption and was composed of several figures who had been publicly critical of the Thaksin government, including Kaewsan Atibhoti, Jaruvan Maintaka
Jaruvan Maintaka
Khun Ying Jaruvan Maintaka is the current Auditor-General of the Kingdom of Thailand. She refused to resign her position after the Constitutional Court of Thailand ruled that her nomination was illegal. She is well known for her public criticism of deposed Premier Thaksin Shinawatra...
, Banjerd Singkaneti
Banjerd Singkaneti
Banjerd Singkaneti is an Assistant Professor of Law at Thammasat University and a noted critic of Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.-Education and early career:Banjerd completed an LL.B. at Bangkok's Ramkhamhaeng University. He received an LL.M...
, Klanarong Chantik, and Sak Korsaengruang.
A separate decree (No. 31) gave the NCCC the authority to freeze the assets of politicians who failed to report their financial status by a deadline or intentionally reported false information. Another decree (No. 27) increased the penalty for political party executives whose parties had been ordered dissolved, from simply banning them from forming or becoming executives of a new party, to stripping them of their electoral rights for five years.
Interim constitution
A draft interim constitution was released on 27 September 2006, and received mixed reactions. Structurally, the draft was similar to the 1991 Constitution, the 1976 Constitution, and the 1959 Charter, in that it allows an extremely powerful executive branch to appoint the entire legislature. The CDR, which would be transformed into a Council for National Security (CNS), would appoint the head of the executive branch, the entire legislature, and the drafters of a permanent constitution.Thailand's future government
Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin, leader of the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy told foreign diplomats that a civilian government and prime minister would be appointed to run the country within two weeks. The constitution would be amended for a rapid return to democracy through a national election in a year's time. This would imply that the October 2006 electionsThailand legislative election, October 2006
After Thailand's April 2006 elections were declared invalid by the Constitutional Court, it was decided that new elections would be held on 15 October 2006...
will not take place as scheduled.
Sonthi confirmed a previous statement saying that Thaksin and the members of his cabinet have done no wrong and can return to Thailand. However, Privy Councilor
Privy Council (Thailand)
The Privy Council of Thailand is a body of appointed advisors to the Monarch of Thailand: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The Council, as the Constitution of Thailand stipulates, must be composed of no more than eighteen members...
and top contender of appointment as interim Prime Minister General Surayud Chulanont
Surayud Chulanont
General Surayud Chulanont is a Thai political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's Interim Government between 2006 and 2008...
warned against Thaksin's return, calling his return a "threat."<
Sonthi said Thailand was and still is a democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and that tourists can continue to visit the country normally. The U.S. State Department has not issued a travel warning for Thailand, but has advised tourists to be vigilant.
On 20 September 2006, Thailand's Army chief and current interim leader, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, pledged to hold general elections by October 2007.
Many civilians were rumored to have been short-listed for appointment to figurehead Prime Minister. These included General Surayud Chulanont
Surayud Chulanont
General Surayud Chulanont is a Thai political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's Interim Government between 2006 and 2008...
(Privy Councilor
Privy Council (Thailand)
The Privy Council of Thailand is a body of appointed advisors to the Monarch of Thailand: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The Council, as the Constitution of Thailand stipulates, must be composed of no more than eighteen members...
to King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
), Akharathorn Chularat, (Chief Justice of the Supreme Administrative Court), and Pridiyathorn Devakula
Pridiyathorn Devakula
Mom Rajawongse Pridiyathorn Devakula served as Minister of Finance in Thailand's interim civilian government. Before being named to the Cabinet of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, Pridiyathorn had served as Governor of the Bank of Thailand since 2001...
, (Governor of the Bank of Thailand
Bank of Thailand
- History :The Bank of Thailand was first set up as the Thai National Banking Bureau. The Bank of Thailand Act was promulgated on 28 April 1942 vesting upon the Bank of Thailand the responsibility for all central banking functions...
), and Supachai Panitchpakdi
Supachai Panitchpakdi
Supachai Panitchpakdi is the Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development . Prior to this, he was the Director-General of the World Trade Organization from September 1, 2002 to September 1, 2005...
(Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body. It is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues....
).
On 26 September 2006, junta leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin said that the junta would remain in place after the appointment of a civilian government, noting "It's necessary to keep the council so that there is no loophole for the executive branch."
Following the appointment of a new interim civilian government, the junta would be transformed into a permanent "Council of National Security". It will dissolve itself once the general election is held a year later.
Restrictions on human rights and freedom of expression
For general information about the Thai media, see Media in Thailand. For information about censorship in Thailand prior to the coup see Censorship in ThailandCensorship in Thailand
Freedom of speech in Thailand was guaranteed in the articles 39, 40, 41 in the 1997 Constitution.According to those articles, censorship may be imposed to preserve national security, maintain public order, preserve the rights of others, protect public morals, and prevent criticism of the royal...
.
Over 90% of Thais own a television and over 50% own a radio. For most Thais, TV and radio are the only source of daily news and information about the coup. Less than 20% of the population reads daily newspapers. As of 2004 Internet users made up less than 12% of the population nationwide, and 26% in the Bangkok area. The junta imposed and maintained censorship on television from the first day of the coup onwards. However, no newspaper publications were suppressed and censorship of the Internet did not start until several days after the coup.
Restrictions on broadcasting and the press
The CDR demanded the cooperation of the Thai mass media and authorised the censorship of news reports that might be negative to the military. During the first 12 hours of the coup information was available only to those able to access the Internet or receive TV channels by satellites not controlled by the junta.Television censorship
On the evening of Tuesday 19 September, regular programmes on Thai television channels were replaced by video clips and music authored by the King. The next day, shortly after Sondhi's TV conference, all Thai channels were back on air under control of the ICT Ministry authorised to censor information.
On Thursday 21 September 2006, the CDR summoned media executives to Army Headquarters and ordered them to stop carrying expressions of public opinion. This included a ban against the common practice of broadcasting viewers' text messages
Short message service
Short Message Service is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices...
on a news ticker
News ticker
A news ticker resides in the lower third of the television screen space on television news networks dedicated to presenting headlines or minor pieces of news. It may also refer to a long, thin scoreboard-style display seen around the front of some offices or public buildings...
. The junta did not say whether the ban would extend to newspaper editorials or internet web boards.
Thai television broadcasters did not air footage of demonstrations against the coup, including the first major protest on 22 September at Siam Square.
Local cable broadcasts of CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
, NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
, and several other several other foreign news channels were censored, with any footage involving former Premier Thaksin
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
blacked out.
On Thursday September 21, 2006, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
disclosed that armed soldiers are sitting in every television news studio and control room. As of Thursday October 12, 2006, Suwanna Uyanan, vice president of the Thai Broadcasting Journalists Association, says that soldiers are still occupying Channel 11, where she works.
The nine members of Board of Directors of MCOT
MCOT
MCOT Public Company Limited )) is a Thai media conglomerate. Its origins date back to the creation in 1955 of Thailand's first television broadcaster, The Thai Television Company Limited. In 1977, this company was reconstituted as a state enterprise, the Mass Communications Organization of Thailand...
, a privatised state-owned media company, resigned on 26 September with effect as of 27 September in order to take responsibility for allowing Thaksin Shinwatra to address the nation on MCOT-controlled Modernine TV (Channel 9).
Radio censorship
On Thursday 21 September 2006, the CDR ordered more than 300 community radio stations in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai Province
Chiang Mai is the second-largest province of Thailand, located in the north of the country. Neighboring provinces are Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lamphun, Tak, and Mae Hong Son. In the north it borders Shan State of Burma...
, Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai Province
Chiang Rai is the northernmost province of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are Phayao, Lampang and Chiang Mai. In the north it borders Shan State of Myanmar and Bokeo of Laos.-Geography:...
, and Mae Hong Son
Mae Hong Son Province
Most of the areas of Mae Hong Son Province are complex mountain ranges and likely still pristine virgin forest. Of the approximately 6,976,650 rai of national forest reserves, 88.02% is thought to be pristine virgin forest...
to suspend broadcasts. Community radio stations in Lamphun, Lampang, and Phayao were also ordered to turn their transmitters off. In addition, the pro-Thaksin Muan Chon Community Radio in Udon Thani stopped broadcasting on Wednesday. Police were stationed at the radio building as well as the office of Siang Tham Community Radio Station, owned by revered monk Luang Ta Maha Bua. Maha Bua had been a key supporter of the People's Alliance for Democracy
People's Alliance for Democracy
The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...
.
In response to the community radio ban, some station operators vowed to air only non political programmes. They promised self-censorship to ensure their programmes would not infringe against CDR rules. Others in the North initiated a signed pledge campaign that they would not become involved in politics and that their programming would be completely free of politics.
Press censorship
The websites of the leading Bangkok newspapers Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
The Bangkok Post is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. The first issue was sold on August 1, 1946. It had four pages and cost 1 baht, a considerable amount at the time....
, The Nation
The Nation (Thailand)
The Nation is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper founded in 1971 and published in Bangkok, Thailand, and is owned by the Nation Multimedia Group.The Nation is a member of the Asia News Network...
and Thai Rath
Thai Rath
Thai Rath is a Thai-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok and distributed nationwide. The paper is a broadsheet published with two sections. The first section is devoted to news. Although the news section is best known for its sensationalist coverage of crime and accidents, it also...
had been functioning normally and were reporting the coup. Both the Bangkok Post and The Nation had been strong critics of the deposed government. The Daily News
Daily News (Thailand)
-History:Daily News was founded by Saeng Hetrakul , and published its first issue on March 28, 1964, under the name Naew Na Haeng Yuk Daily News .-External links:*...
website included extensive photographic coverage of the military operations. On the morning of Wednesday, 20 September newspapers were available as usual.
On Saturday 23 September 2006, the CDR said they would "urgently retaliate against foreign reporters whose coverage has been deemed insulting to the monarchy." Numerous international news agencies speculated at the King's role in the coup (see Role and position of the King).
Internet censorship
On September 21, during a meeting with internet service providers and operators of TV stations, radio stations and other ICT businesses, the ICT Ministry (ICT) asked webmasters to close political webboards found to contain provocative messages for 12 days. Kraisorn Pornsuthee, ICT Permanent Secretary said that websites and webboards will face permanent closure if such messages continue to appear, but that messages could be posted on webboards as long as they do not provoke any misunderstandings. The anti-coup website 19sep.org was shut down, but later relocated to the US. The official website of the Thai Rak Thai
Thai Rak Thai
The Thai Rak Thai Party was a Thai political party that was officially banned on May 30, 2007, by the Constitutional Court of Thailand due to violations of electoral laws during the 2006 legislative elections. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under Prime Minister and its founder Thaksin...
party was also shut down.
On September 27, the ICT ministry confirmed that at least 10 websites were shut down for violating the junta's regulations.
The Midnight University website, a free scholarly resource and discussion board, was temporarily shut down after the management of Midnight University and scholars from Chiang Mai University
Chiang Mai University
Chiang Mai University is a public research university in northern Thailand founded in 1964 with a strong emphasis on engineering, science, and agriculture. Its instructional mission includes undergraduate, graduate, professional and continuing education offered through resident instruction...
conducted a protest against the junta's draft interim charter. Somkiat Tangnamo, the webmaster of Midnight University, claimed the site contained 1,500 free scholarly articles and received 2.5 million visits per month. Kasian Tejapira of Thammasat University
Thammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
claimed the website was "the foremost free and critical educational and public intellectual website in Thailand. The shutdown is not only a huge loss to academic and intellectual freedom in Thai society, but also the closure of a free forum for the contention of ideas so as to find a peaceful alternative to violent conflict in Thailand". Kraisorn Pornsuthee ICT Ministry permanent secretary said he did not know about the shutdown of the website and would ask for details from his officials.
In the second week after the coup, the Thai Rak Thai website was temporarily inaccessible, without indication if it was an act of censure or not. The Thaksin.com website used by Thaksin to receive mails and comments from his supporters and to promote himself was also inaccessible.
On April 8, 2005, a very popular political webboard "Rajdumnern" on www.pantip.com/cafe (Pantip) was suspended. At first, the ICT ministry claimed that the content on the webboard was a threat to national security and had some content that might be considered Lese Majeste
Lèse majesté
Lese-majesty is the crime of violating majesty, an offence against the dignity of a reigning sovereign or against a state.This behavior was first classified as a criminal offence against the dignity of the Roman republic in Ancient Rome...
. However, the following day, the news was conflicting. The ICT ministry said that Pantip's webmaster suspended the service by itself because they were unable to control the content on the website. On the other hand, Pantip webmaster claimed that they received a phone call from member of ICT minister threatening to block the whole site if "Rajdumnern" was not closed down. At that time, on the first page of Rajdumneren, the Pantip webmaster posted a message saying that they had to close Rajdumnern due to the volatility of the situation. Further on April 10, 2005, the Rajdumnern webboard became active again. This time, the message from the webmaster said "after consulting with the ICT ministry, the principle of 'Free Speech' was upheld, thus allowing the criticizing of the work of the cabinet and CNS on the truth and responsible basis. [the webmaster] had considered that they are capable of controlling the content to within acceptable scope, therefore the 'Rajdumnern' webboard became active again."
Restrictions on political meetings and political parties
The military also banned any gathering of five or more people for political purposes, threatening violators with six months in jail. On Wednesday 20 September, the military arrested activist Chalard WorachatChalard Worachat
Chalard Worachat is a Thai activist. His 1992 hunger strike helped bring down the military government. His 1994 hunger strike forced the government of Chuan Leekpai to establish a committee to amend the constitution of Thailand. Following the 2006 Thailand coup d'état, he was arrested by military...
along with hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
r and former MP Thawee Kraikup at Democracy Monument while they were peacefully protesting against the coup.
The anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy
People's Alliance for Democracy
The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...
formally cancelled its scheduled rally for 20 September 2006 and later dissolved itself, after having reached its self-set goal of toppling the Thaksin government. The status of the Mass Party, established by PAD leaders, was not known.
Thailand's coup leaders Thursday banned political parties from holding meetings or from conducting any other activities, according to a statement read on national television. The junta also barred the establishment of new political parties.
"Political gatherings of more than five people have already been banned, but political activities can resume when normalcy is restored," the statement said.
In its 22nd Announcement, the junta ordered a complete ban on all political activities, including those at the local level like tambon administrative organizations and provincial administrative organisations.
Despite the bans, the organizers of the Thai Social Forum, a major nation-wide conference of 300 social and political activists, insisted that the meeting would continue to take place at Thammasat University's
Thammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
Rangsit Center from 21-23 October. Jon Ungphakorn, an organizer said that the stress of the conference would be media reform and press freedom.
Restrictions on the right to travel
The military interpreted the restriction on the right to assembly as a restriction against travel, in at least one case. On the night of 25 September, 100 teachers from Chiang RaiChiang Rai Province
Chiang Rai is the northernmost province of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are Phayao, Lampang and Chiang Mai. In the north it borders Shan State of Myanmar and Bokeo of Laos.-Geography:...
(in the North) were traveling via bus to attend a social function in Chonburi
Chonburi Province
Chonburi is a province of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi and Rayong. To the west is the Gulf of Thailand. The eastern seaboard is heavily industrialized and underpinned by shipping, transportation, tourism, and manufacturing industries, and second to only Bangkok...
(on the eastern coast) when they were stopped by soldiers at a checkpoint. The soldiers refused to allow the two busloads of teachers to continue because they failed to provide a permit from the Chiang Rai Army Commander for them to move in a group larger than five people.
Large groups travelling into Bangkok were required to seek authorization from their District Offices.
Role and position of the King
It was assumed by some Thai analysts and the international media that the coup had the support of King Bhumibol AdulyadejBhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
. For some analysts, the silence of both the King and Privy Council
Privy Council (Thailand)
The Privy Council of Thailand is a body of appointed advisors to the Monarch of Thailand: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The Council, as the Constitution of Thailand stipulates, must be composed of no more than eighteen members...
President General Prem Tinsulanonda
Prem Tinsulanonda
General Prem Tinsulanonda is a retired Thai military officer who served as Prime Minister of Thailand from March 3, 1980 to August 4, 1988. He now serves as the Head of the Privy Council of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej....
on the day following the coup was taken as indicating support. Remarks made earlier in 2006 by Thaksin had been widely understood as a criticism of Prem's continued influence in Thai politics.
Royal endorsement is critical to establishing legitimacy for military rebellions - every successful coup over the past 60 years has been endorsed by King Bhumibol. Previous unendorsed coups in 1981 and 1985 failed after at most a few days. For background, see King Bhumibol's role in Thai politics.
On 14 July 2006, Privy Council
Privy Council (Thailand)
The Privy Council of Thailand is a body of appointed advisors to the Monarch of Thailand: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The Council, as the Constitution of Thailand stipulates, must be composed of no more than eighteen members...
President Prem Tinsulanonda
Prem Tinsulanonda
General Prem Tinsulanonda is a retired Thai military officer who served as Prime Minister of Thailand from March 3, 1980 to August 4, 1988. He now serves as the Head of the Privy Council of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej....
addressed graduating cadets of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy or CRMA is the military academy of Royal Thai Army. Established in 1887 it has graduated the vast majority of Thailand's military leaders and many of them become Thai Prime Ministers.-History:...
, telling them that the Thai military must obey the orders of the King - not the Government. Prem was a harsh critic of Thaksin, comparing him to Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
.
At the time that Special Forces started mobilizing from Lopburi to Bangkok, Prem was having an audience with the King. This led to speculation outside Thailand that the King had advance knowledge of the coup, or even that he had executive control over it, although there was no direct evidence for this. The day after the coup, the King endorsed it and its leader. Given the extensive reserve powers retained by the King, this statement gave legitimacy to the coup and legal authority to Sonthi's position.
Some Thai analysts have said that the King must have at least been in favour of the coup. "The role of the king was critical in this crisis," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak
Thitinan Pongsudhirak
Thitinan Pongsudhirak is a Thai political scientist and a Professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. Thitinan completed his PhD from the London School of Economics. He completed an M.A. from the School of Advanced International Studies of the Johns Hopkins University and B.A...
of Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
, adding that "This coup was nothing short of Thaksin versus the King. He is widely seen as having implicitly endorsed the coup." Thitinan said he believed the King had allowed the coup to take place as it was the best option available. "What we were heading for otherwise was violence in the streets," he said.
Sulak Sivaraksa
Sulak Sivaraksa
Sulak Sivaraksa [] is founder and director of the Thai NGO “Sathirakoses-Nagapradeepa Foundation”, named after two authorities on Thai culture, Sathirakoses and Nagapradeepa...
, a well-known social critic, said, "Without his involvement, the coup would have been impossible." Sulak added that the King is "very skilful. He never becomes obviously involved. If this coup goes wrong, Sonthi
Sonthi Boonyaratglin
General Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
will get the blame, but whatever happens, the King will only get praise."
The Bangkok correspondent of The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
, Peter Alford, wrote: "The King's overriding commitment has always been to social stability… and by December last year, he had clearly lost any faith in Thaksin's capacity to govern without wedging the country apart… All Prem need do is refrain from criticising the coup… for almost all Thais to believe they know the King's will."
On April 13, 2008, the Asia Sentinel writes: "Never mind elections, the fate of Thaksin's proxy party could be decided, yet again, by Thailand's royalist judges and generals. Thailand's proxy war between loyalists to deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Bangkok's royalist elite is stirring once again, with the outcome as uncertain as ever."
National reactions
The coup occurred after nearly two years of escalating anti-Thaksin sentiment, particularly in Bangkok. Even long-standing rural supporters of Thaksin reported increasing frustration at the tensions caused by the Thailand political crisis 2005-2006Thailand political crisis 2005-2006
In 2005 and 2006, a series of events occurred in Thailand as a result of an unrest with Thaksin Shinawatra that was supported by Sondhi Limthongkul and his coalitions...
.
Public support for the coup has been widely aired and published whilst public expression of opinion against the coup has been limited by the military control over the media, the ban on protests and political activity, and the arrest of some Cabinet members by the junta. Protest has also arisen from both pro- and anti- Thaksin supporters and is directed against the use of military power to resolve a political stalemate. Protest is also limited following the king's endorsement of the coup and the junta's use of a royal decree that legitimizes the coup. See also Censorship in Thailand
Censorship in Thailand
Freedom of speech in Thailand was guaranteed in the articles 39, 40, 41 in the 1997 Constitution.According to those articles, censorship may be imposed to preserve national security, maintain public order, preserve the rights of others, protect public morals, and prevent criticism of the royal...
.
Reactions from the Thai Rak Thai and its supporters
With Thaksin and most of the Thai Rak ThaiThai Rak Thai
The Thai Rak Thai Party was a Thai political party that was officially banned on May 30, 2007, by the Constitutional Court of Thailand due to violations of electoral laws during the 2006 legislative elections. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under Prime Minister and its founder Thaksin...
-party leaders in London and some of its top executives in detention, the reaction of the TRT has been minimal. Several former party leaders believe the party will have to be dissolved. Former Khon Kaen MP Prajak Kaewklaharn said "When we have no leader and no executives, the party cannot continue"
A former TRT MP from Udon Thani, Thirachai Saenkaew, called for the junta to allow party-leader Thaksin Shinawatra to contest the next election. Thirachai claimed that TRT supporters wanted Thaksin to return to politics after the political reform.
Former Udon Thani MP Theerachai Saenkaew said his constituents would still vote for Thaksin and his party at the next general election. "Following the normalisation of the political situation, democratic rule should move forward in accordance with the voice of the people," Theerachai said.
Former Sakon Nakhon MP Chalermchai Ulankul a member of a faction allied with Suchart Tancharoen, a key TRT figure said he and others might be unemployed for about a year. However, he said his group was "firm" and preparing to run in the election next year. "As long as the Thai Rak Thai Party is not dissolved, we can't say we will move to be under any other party. However, I don't know who will continue the TRT."
Nearly two weeks after the coup, TRT's deputy leader Sonthaya Kuenpluem and his 20-member faction resigned from the party. Somsak Thepsuthin, another TRT's deputy leader said he and his Wan Nam Yom faction which has about 80 members would also submit their resignation. The move comes after the CDR issued an order banning from political activities for five years all executive members of a party that has been dissolved. TRT is currently under investigation and could be dissolved for hiring smaller party during the April 2006 election.
On Tuesday 2 October ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and former Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusipitak resigned from Thai Rak Thai Party.
Reactions from grass-root supporters who lack political organisation have been muted. A woman who benefited from Thaksin populist policies
Thaksinomics
Thaksinomics is a term used to refer to the economic set of policies of Thaksin Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001-2006. There has been considerable controversy over the role Thaksinomics has played in Thailand's recovery from the 1997 Asian financial crisis...
said "He gave me a chance to keep my daughter alive. He gave us food when we were in need. Now that he's been chased out, the poor have lost their closest friend.'"
Public support
A group of lecturers and students from Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon briefly held a rally in front of Army headquarters to urge their counterparts from Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
and Thammasat Universities
Thammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
not to be opposed to the coup. Many students from Chulalongkorn University also supported the coup.
The Campaign for Popular Democracy, which coordinates 32 civic groups, 6 universities and 169 NGOs, came out in support of the coup, as did several politicians, including former Senator Kraisak Choonhavan
Kraisak Choonhavan
Kraisak Choonhavan is a Thai politician. He was a member of the Senate for Nakhon Ratchasima Province from 2000 till 2006.Born as son of former prime minister General Chatichai Choonhavan and Than Phu Ying Bunruen Choonhavan, Kraisak received a Bachelor Degree in International Relations at the...
. Kraisak, whose father Chatichai Choonhavan
Chatichai Choonhavan
General Chatichai Choonhavan was the Prime Minister of Thailand from 1988 to 1991. He was the only son of Field Marshal Phin Choonhavan, and is of Thai Chinese descent with ancestry from Chenghai District...
had been deposed by a coup in 1991, said, "This is the first coup where I don't have to watch my back."
A demonstration also occurred in front of the UN Building in New York City in support of the coup.
Public disapproval
Former prime minister Chuan Leekpai
Chuan Leekpai
Chuan Leekpai was the Prime Minister of Thailand from September 20, 1992 to May 19, 1995 and again from November 9, 1997 to February 9, 2001. A third-generation Thai Chinese, Chuan was born in Trang province in a grass-roofed house. The walls of his family's house were woven from strips of...
said of the events, "As politicians, we do not support any kind of coup, but during the past five years, the government of Thaksin created several conditions that forced the military to stage the coup. Thaksin has caused the crisis in the country."
Anand Panyarachun
Anand Panyarachun
Anand Panyarachun was Thailand's Prime Minister twice, between 1991–1992 and once again in 1992. He was effective in initiating economic and political reforms, one of which was the drafting of Thailand's "Peoples' Constitution", which was promulgated in 1997 and abrogated in 2006...
, one of Thailand's most respected intellectuals, head of drafting committee of the 1997 Constitution
Constitution of Thailand
The Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand is the supreme law of Thailand. Since the change from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional democracy in 1932, Thailand has had 17 charters and constitutions, reflecting the high degree of political instability and frequency of military coups faced...
, and former coup-installed Prime Minister, noted his criticism of the coup in an interview with the Far Eastern Economic Review
Far Eastern Economic Review
The Far Eastern Economic Review was an English language Asian news magazine started in 1946. It printed its final issue in December 2009. The Hong Kong-based business magazine was originally published weekly...
.
However, Anand later qualified his disapproval, by noting that "A coup d'état has a different meaning in the Thai context," and blaming the coup on Thaksin, "Over the past five years Thaksin and his party have become too powerful. They have consolidated their hold over the government machinery and certain sectors of the armed forces and parliament. So I think it's a more precarious situation."
Other prominent academics also voiced disapproval of the coup, including Pasuk Pongpaijitr, Chaiwat Satha-anand, and Giles Ungphakorn.
Leader of the Democrat Party
Democrat Party (Thailand)
The Democrat Party is Thailand's oldest political party and was the main coalition government party of the 23rd House of Representatives of Thailand. The Democrat Party's current leader is Abhisit Vejjajiva, incumbent opposition leader and former Prime Minister. The party upholds a conservative...
Abhisit Vejjajiva
Abhisit Vejjajiva
Abhisit Vejjajiva , , ; born Mark Abhisit Vejjajiva; 3 August 1964 in Newcastle upon Tyne) is a Thai politician who was the 27th Prime Minister of Thailand from 2008 to 2011 and is the current leader of the Democrat Party...
voiced displeasure at the coup hours just before all political activities were banned:
Other Democrat Party leaders, like Chuan Leekpai
Chuan Leekpai
Chuan Leekpai was the Prime Minister of Thailand from September 20, 1992 to May 19, 1995 and again from November 9, 1997 to February 9, 2001. A third-generation Thai Chinese, Chuan was born in Trang province in a grass-roofed house. The walls of his family's house were woven from strips of...
and Korn Chatikavanij
Korn Chatikavanij
Korn Chatikavanij is a Thai Democrat Party politician and former investment banker. He was Finance Minister under Abhisit Vejjajiva.-Early life:...
expressed displeasure over the coup, but blamed Thaksin.
Several student groups also stated disapproval at the coup. Signs were set up and demonstrations organized to protest it. However, no unified multi-university statement of disapproval was made.
Reports on the numbers, extent and nature of public demonstrations against the coup and the military government are often contingent on national media whose freedom of speech is limited by the censure imposed by the CDRM. Organised local opposition to the coup was muted by a junta ban against assemblies of more than 5 people. International protests against the coup were scattered, with anti-coup demonstrators protesting in front of the Thai Consulates in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
.
Democracy Monument, 20 September
Activist Chalard WorachatChalard Worachat
Chalard Worachat is a Thai activist. His 1992 hunger strike helped bring down the military government. His 1994 hunger strike forced the government of Chuan Leekpai to establish a committee to amend the constitution of Thailand. Following the 2006 Thailand coup d'état, he was arrested by military...
and former MP Thawee Kraikup held a protest against the junta at the Democracy Monument the day after the coup. Thawee held up a sign saying "Fasting
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
in Protest Against the Destroyer of Democracy." Military forces arrived soon afterwards and arrested Chalard at 12.30. Thawee refused to stop his protest and was arrested 3 hours later. Their fate is not known.
Siam Center, 22 September
The 2006 Thai coup d'état took place on Tuesday 19 September 2006, when the Royal Thai Army staged a coup d'étatCoup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
against the elected caretaker government
Caretaker government
Caretaker government is a type of government that rules temporarily. A caretaker government is often set up following a war until stable democratic rule can be restored, or installed, in which case it is often referred to as a provisional government...
of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Thailand
The Prime Minister of Thailand is the head of government of Thailand. The Prime Minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Revolution of 1932, when the country became a constitutional monarchy....
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
. The coup d'état, which was Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
's first non-constitutional change of government in fifteen years, followed a year-long political crisis
Thailand political crisis 2005-2006
In 2005 and 2006, a series of events occurred in Thailand as a result of an unrest with Thaksin Shinawatra that was supported by Sondhi Limthongkul and his coalitions...
involving Thaksin, his allies and political opponents and occurred less than a month before nation-wide House elections
Thailand legislative election, October 2006
After Thailand's April 2006 elections were declared invalid by the Constitutional Court, it was decided that new elections would be held on 15 October 2006...
were originally scheduled to be held. It has been widely reported in Thailand and elsewhere that General Prem Tinsulanonda
Prem Tinsulanonda
General Prem Tinsulanonda is a retired Thai military officer who served as Prime Minister of Thailand from March 3, 1980 to August 4, 1988. He now serves as the Head of the Privy Council of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej....
, Chairman of the Privy Council was the mastermind of the Coup. The military cancelled the upcoming elections, abrogated the Constitution
Constitution of Thailand
The Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand is the supreme law of Thailand. Since the change from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional democracy in 1932, Thailand has had 17 charters and constitutions, reflecting the high degree of political instability and frequency of military coups faced...
, dissolved Parliament
National Assembly of Thailand
The National Assembly of Thailand or the Parliament of Thailand is the legislative branch of the government of Thailand. The National Assembly of Thailand is a bicameral body, consisting of two chambers: the upper house, , and the lower house,...
and Constitutional Court
Constitutional Court of Thailand
The Constitutional Court of Thailand is an independent Thai court originally established under the 1997 Constitution with jurisdiction over the constitutionality of parliamentary acts, royal decrees, draft legislation, as well as the appointment and removal of public officials and issues regarding...
, banned protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
s and all political activities, suppressed and censored
Censorship in Thailand
Freedom of speech in Thailand was guaranteed in the articles 39, 40, 41 in the 1997 Constitution.According to those articles, censorship may be imposed to preserve national security, maintain public order, preserve the rights of others, protect public morals, and prevent criticism of the royal...
the media
Media of Thailand
Thailand has a well-developed media sector, especially by Southeast Asian standards. Compared to other countries in the region, the Thai media have historically been relatively free, although the government has always exercised considerable control, especially over broadcast media...
, declared martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
nationwide, and arrested Cabinet members.
The new rulers, led by general Sonthi Boonyaratglin
Sonthi Boonyaratglin
General Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
and organised in a Council for Democratic Reform (CDR), issued a pronunciamiento
Pronunciamiento
A pronunciamiento is a form of military rebellion or coup d'état peculiar to Spain and the Spanish American republics, particularly in the 19th century...
on 21 September setting out their reasons for taking power and giving a commitment to restore democratic government within one year. However, the CDR also announced that after elections and the establishment of a democratic government, the council would be transformed into a permanent Council of National Security whose future role in Thai politics was not explained. The CNS later drafted an interim charter and appointed retired General Surayud Chulanont
Surayud Chulanont
General Surayud Chulanont is a Thai political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's Interim Government between 2006 and 2008...
as Premier. Martial law was lifted in 41 of Thailand's 76 provinces on 26 January 2007 but remained in place in another 35 provinces.
Elections were held on 23 December 2007, after a military-appointed tribunal outlawed the Thai Rak Thai
Thai Rak Thai
The Thai Rak Thai Party was a Thai political party that was officially banned on May 30, 2007, by the Constitutional Court of Thailand due to violations of electoral laws during the 2006 legislative elections. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under Prime Minister and its founder Thaksin...
party of Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
and banned TRT executives from contesting in elections for 5 years.
Earlier planning and rumours
Sonthi Boonyaratglin
General Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
issued assurances that the military would not seize power. On 20 July 2006, around a hundred middle-ranking army officers said to be supporters of Thaksin
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
were reassigned by the army high command, fuelling rumors that the army was divided between supporters and opponents of the prime minister. In July 2006, 3rd Army Area Commander Saprang Kalayanamitr gave an interview where he stated that Thai politics was below standard and that the Kingdom's leadership was weak. He also claimed that Thailand had a false democracy. The public was becoming alarmed with each fresh rumor. On 15 July 2006 a democratic activist, Tavivoot Chulavachana, posted an open letter in Thailand's most popular political webboard, citing military sources, saying the military and Sondhi Limthongkul were conspiring to stage a takeover to rid the country of Thaksin, and then return power to the people—after a period of cleansing the country. In August 2006, there were reports of tank movements near Bangkok, but the military attributed these to a scheduled exercise. In early September, Thai police arrested five army officers, all members of Thailand's counter-insurgency command
Internal Security Operations Command
The Internal Security Operations Command is a unit of the Thai military devoted to national security issues. It was responsible for suppression of leftist groups during the 1970s and 1980s during which it was implicated in numerous atrocities against activists and civilians. The modern ISOC was...
, after intercepting one of the officers with a bomb in a car allegedly targeting the prime minister's residence. Three of the suspects were released after the coup.
In December 2006, former National Security Council head Prasong Soonsiri
Prasong Soonsiri
Prasong Soonsiri is a Thai politician, and former Royal Thai Air Force squadron leader, Thai Foreign Minister, and head of the Thai National Security Council. Prasong has been a long-time critic of Thaksin Shinawatra since Thaksin's entry into politics in 1994...
claimed that he and five other senior military figures had been planning a coup as early as July. He claimed that Sonthi was one of those figures, but that Surayud and Prem were not involved at the time.
Day one (Tuesday)
On the evening of 19 September 2006, the Thai military and police overthrew the elected government of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Thailand
The Prime Minister of Thailand is the head of government of Thailand. The Prime Minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Revolution of 1932, when the country became a constitutional monarchy....
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
. At the time, the premier was in New York City for a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
.
- At 18:30, Royal Thai Army Special Forces units moved from Lopburi provinceLopburi ProvinceLop Buri is one of the central provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Phetchabun, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, Saraburi, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Ang Thong, Sing Buri and Nakhon Sawan.-Geography:...
to Bangkok. At the same time, Prem TinsulanondaPrem TinsulanondaGeneral Prem Tinsulanonda is a retired Thai military officer who served as Prime Minister of Thailand from March 3, 1980 to August 4, 1988. He now serves as the Head of the Privy Council of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej....
, Privy Council President, had an audience with King Bhumibol AdulyadejBhumibol AdulyadejBhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
, reportedly concerning a merit-making ceremony for Bua Kitiyakara, the King's mother-in-law. - By 21:00, the Special Forces units arrived in Bangkok.
- Around 21:30, Army-owned television broadcaster Channel 5 ceased scheduled programming and aired songs authored by King Bhumibol. By this time, rumours started spreading that the military had arrested Deputy Prime Minister in charge of national security Chitchai WannasathitChitchai WannasathitChitchai Wannasathit was the caretaker prime minister of Thailand from April to May 2006, when Thaksin Shinawatra took a break from his duties as prime minister following a disappointing showing in elections. Thaksin returned to his duties after more than a month...
and Defence Minister Thammarak Isaragura na AyuthayaThammarak Isaragura na AyuthayaThammarak Isarangkura na Ayuthaya is a former Thai military officer, Member of Parliament, co-founder of the Thai Rak Thai Party, and former defence minister...
, and that Thaksin's son had left the country. National radio, terrestrial TV, cable TV and some satellite broadcasters were taken off air shortly after (see below). - At 21:40, police commandosSpecial forcesSpecial forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
arrived at the residence of Thaksin. Army tanks soon took position throughout Bangkok. - At 22:20, Thaksin declared a state of emergency by telephone from New York. He transferred General Sonthi BoonyaratglinSonthi BoonyaratglinGeneral Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
from his post as Army Commander to a position at the Prime Minister's Office and appointed Supreme Commander General Ruangroj MahasaranonRuangroj MahasaranonGeneral Ruangroj Mahasaranon is the Supreme Commander General of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Following the 2006 Thailand coup d'état, ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra attempted to put Ruangroj in power until Thaksin returned. However, Ruangroj was later named the Chief Advisor to the...
to take control of the crisis. His declaration, broadcast on television, was cut immediately afterwards. - At 23:00 Thawinan KhongkranThawinan KhongkranThawinan Khongkran is a Thai celebrity. She was Miss University of Asia 1986 and Miss Asia-Pacific 1987 and remains famous in Thailand....
, Miss AsiaMiss Asia PageantThe Miss Asia Pageant , is organized by the Asia Television Limited , and they have organized this event since 1985. The contest was stopped from the year of 2000 through 2003, and relaunched in 2004....
1987 and head of Public Relations for Army-owned television station Channel 5, announced on TV that military and police units had Bangkok and the surrounding areas under control:
Military junta
A junta or military junta is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term derives from the Spanish language junta meaning committee, specifically a board of directors...
initially called the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy
Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy
The Council for National Security or, in brief, CNS , formerly known as the Council for Democratic Reform or, in brief, CDR , also translated as the Council for Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarchy, was the name of the military regime that governed Thailand following the 2006...
(CDRM) later took the name of Council for Democratic Reform to rule out suspicions about the role of the monarchy.
- At 23:50, the CDR issued a second statement explaining the reasons for the coup d'état and wished "to reaffirm that it has no intention to become the administrators of the country." The Council promised to retain the king as head of stateHead of StateA head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and to return administrative power to the Thai people "as quickly as possible."
- By 00:39 a third statement suspended the constitutionConstitution of ThailandThe Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand is the supreme law of Thailand. Since the change from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional democracy in 1932, Thailand has had 17 charters and constitutions, reflecting the high degree of political instability and frequency of military coups faced...
and dissolved the Cabinet, both houses of ParliamentNational Assembly of ThailandThe National Assembly of Thailand or the Parliament of Thailand is the legislative branch of the government of Thailand. The National Assembly of Thailand is a bicameral body, consisting of two chambers: the upper house, , and the lower house,...
, and the Constitutional CourtConstitutional Court of ThailandThe Constitutional Court of Thailand is an independent Thai court originally established under the 1997 Constitution with jurisdiction over the constitutionality of parliamentary acts, royal decrees, draft legislation, as well as the appointment and removal of public officials and issues regarding...
.
Foreign news channels, such as BBC World
BBC World
BBC World News is the BBC's international news and current affairs television channel. It has the largest audience of any BBC channel in the world...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
and Bloomberg Television
Bloomberg Television
Bloomberg Television is a 24-hour global network broadcasting business and financial news. It is distributed globally, reaching over 200 million homes worldwide. It is owned and operated by Bloomberg L.P...
, were reported to have been taken off air, although foreign broadcasters were still able to broadcast from Bangkok. Telecommunications networks (telephone and the Internet) were operational.
The Army declared martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
nationwide, ordered all soldiers to report to their barracks and banned troop movements unauthorised by the CDR. Television footage showed heavily armed troops in M113
M113 armored personnel carrier
The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier that has formed the backbone of the United States Army's mechanized infantry units from the time of its first fielding in Vietnam in April 1962. The M113 was the most widely used armored vehicle of the U.S...
armored personnel carriers and M998 HMMWV vehicles on the streets of the city. Many soldiers and military vehicles wore strips of yellow cloth as a symbol of loyalty to the king, whose royal color is yellow.
Junta commander Sonthi Boonyaratglin
Sonthi Boonyaratglin
General Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
confirmed that Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit
Chitchai Wannasathit
Chitchai Wannasathit was the caretaker prime minister of Thailand from April to May 2006, when Thaksin Shinawatra took a break from his duties as prime minister following a disappointing showing in elections. Thaksin returned to his duties after more than a month...
and Defence Minister Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya
Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya
Thammarak Isarangkura na Ayuthaya is a former Thai military officer, Member of Parliament, co-founder of the Thai Rak Thai Party, and former defence minister...
had been arrested. High-ranked civil servants were ordered to report to the Council while government offices and banks would be closed on 20 September.
A few hours after news of the coup broke, BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
reported that the leader of the coup would be meeting with the King later in the day, although it was unclear at that time what King Bhumibol's position on the coup was.
Day two (Wednesday)
- At 01:30 (20:30 UTC) on 20 September it was announced that the Prime Minister had cancelled his speech at the United Nations. The prime minister watched his downfall on television from a hotel in New York. Tom Kruesopon, an TRT member and an adviser Thaksin, said the premier "has not given up his power. He is not seeking asylum."
- At 09:16 General Sonthi Boonyaratglin announced in a television conference that the military had needed to seize power in order to unite the nation after months of political turmoil:
- At 12:14 Coup authorities demanded the cooperation of mass media, and later asked the Information and Communications Technology ministry (ICT) to control the distribution of all media information deemed harmful to the provisional military council.
- By 14:50, the 1997 Constitution1997 Constitution of ThailandFor legal and historical context, see the Constitutions of Thailand articlethumb|275px|Bangkok's [[Democracy Monument, Bangkok|Democracy Monument]]: a representation of the 1932 Constitution sits on top of two golden offering bowls above a turret....
of the Kingdom of Thailand (also known as the "People's Constitution") was removed from the website of the National Assembly of ThailandNational Assembly of ThailandThe National Assembly of Thailand or the Parliament of Thailand is the legislative branch of the government of Thailand. The National Assembly of Thailand is a bicameral body, consisting of two chambers: the upper house, , and the lower house,...
.
The country's northern border with Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
and Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
was closed for a couple of days.
In an interview given before leaving New York for London with Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai
Surakiart Sathirathai
Surakiart Sathirathai was, until September 19 2006, a Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand overseeing Foreign Affairs, Education and Culture.-Family and early career:...
, spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee, and his personal assistant Padung Limcharoenrat, Thaksin Shinawatra said:
Thaksin was escorted to his home in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
where he joined his daughter Pinthongta, who is studying in London. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said that Thaksin's trip was a private visit.
- At 15:35, junta leader Sonthi BoonyaratglinSonthi BoonyaratglinGeneral Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
announced that the military had no plan to seize the personal assets of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and no plans to seize shares of Shin CorporationShin CorporationShin Corporation is one of the largest conglomerates in Thailand.- History :It was founded in 1983 as Shinawatra Computer by Thaksin Shinawatra, former Prime Minister of Thailand, and took on its current name in 1999, by using the first four letters of his last name...
back from Temasek HoldingsTemasek HoldingsTemasek Holdings is an investment company owned by the government of Singapore. With an international staff of 380 people, it manages a portfolio of about S$193 billion at end of March 2011, focused primarily in Asia...
. Early in 2006, Thaksin sold his family's shares in Shin Corporation to Temasek.
- At 20:17 General Sonthi announced in a television statement that King Bhumibol Adulyadej had endorsed him as the head of the interim governing council. He also promised to restore democracy in a year's time.
Late in the evening, a spokesman of the CDR announced that the king has issued a royal command to appoint Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin as the CDR president.
Contradicting earlier announcements, the CDR issued a 13th statement maintaining the status of the newly selected Election Commission and adding that the EC ACT would organize the election of local administrations and councils.
The Council for Democratic Reform then issued its seventh order dividing responsibilities into four divisions as part of responsibility sharing. The four divisions are the CDR, the secretariat, the advisory division, and the special affairs division.
Day three (Thursday)
Potjaman Shinawatra
Khunying Potjaman Na Pombejra , formerly Potjaman Shinawatra and born as Soypetpotjaman Damapong , , is the ex-wife of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Potjaman played a key role in the development of Thaksin's commercial enterprises in the 1980s...
) were also seen loading assault weapons from the CSD in vehicles that went off to an unknown destination.
In the afternoon, Thailand's coup leader ordered media executives to army headquarters to tell them to stop carrying expression of public opinion following the military takeover. The move came after the military imposed strict controls on the media and said they would block information deemed harmful to the provisional military council now in control of Thailand. The army official said the normal television programming will be resumed but the council would begin making its own televised announcements every two hours starting from 11:00 am (0400 GMT).
RTA Troops and tanks began the process of reducing their presence at key government facilities. Four tanks remained at Government House early Thursday, down from 10 the previous day, and fewer armed soldiers are on guard. "As of now we have only two companies of troops — some 50 to 60 — deployed at Government House but total withdrawal is up to the army commander because there is not yet complete trust in the situation," Lieutenant Romklao Thuwatham.
Thailand's coup leader ordered two more top aides, Newin Chidchob, the minister attached to the premier's office, and Yongyuth Tiyapairat, minister of natural resources and environment, to deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
to report to the military, one day after detaining his senior deputy. "They must report themselves to the Council for Political Reform at Army Headquarters" at noon (0500 GMT) Thursday, the order said, referring to the provisional body the coup leaders have set up.
Ousted deputy prime minister Somkid Jatusripitak arrived at the Don Muang International Airport returning from France.
The chartered Thai Airways jet that took ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
to New York and later to London returned to the Don Muang Military Airport after being diverted from Bangkok's commercial airport. Onboard the plane were some 20 members of the press corps and low-ranking officials who had travelled with him. 10 heavily armed commandos immediately surrounded the plane and conducted an inspection. All were released after their passports were stamped.
Ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra called for new snap elections in his homeland and confirmed he is bowing out of politics, urging "national reconciliation" after the coup in Bangkok. In a statement issued in London, Thaksin said he will devote himself to development and possibly charity work.
Timing of the coup
Columnist Thanong Khanthong of The Nation claimed that Gen. Sonthi acted to prevent an imminent military coup by Thaksin. The columnist contended that Thaksin intended to use the political rally planned by the People's Alliance for DemocracyPeople's Alliance for Democracy
The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...
at the Royal Plaza on Wednesday 20 September to trigger violence and then declare a state of emergency and place the country under martial law. General Sonthi would have learned from an intelligence report that Yongyuth Tiyapairat and Newin Chidchob were planning to organise a counter protest with the support of the Forestry Police
Thahan Phran
The Thahan Phran is a paramilitary light infantry force which patrols the borders of Thailand and is part of the Royal Thai Army...
("Hunter Soldiers" or Rangers) armed with HK33 rifles and acted before the bloodshed was set to take place. On Friday, the Rangers were in the process of being disarmed. Both Newin and Yongyuth were later detained, the latter being accused of mobilizing the Forestry Police. Coup-planner Prasong Soonsiri
Prasong Soonsiri
Prasong Soonsiri is a Thai politician, and former Royal Thai Air Force squadron leader, Thai Foreign Minister, and head of the Thai National Security Council. Prasong has been a long-time critic of Thaksin Shinawatra since Thaksin's entry into politics in 1994...
later denied that Thaksin planned his own coup.
However, fellow The Nation columnist Chang Noi called Thanong Khanthong's claims "a myth" that had "achieved the status of 'fact'." Chang Noi noted the absolute lack of any corroborating evidence to support the claims of imminent violence as well as the lack of opposing troop movements on the night of the coup. Chang Noi called the myth a "salve" for people "surprised and a little ashamed to find themselves supporting a coup. This myth makes the coup reactive and defensive." He also noted that General Saprang Kalayanamitr
Saprang Kalayanamitr
General Saprang Kalayanamitr is a retired officer of the Royal Thai Army, Assistant Secretary-General of the Council for National Security, Commander of the junta's 14,000-man anti-protest force, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Airports of Thailand , and also Chairman of the Boards of TOT...
, commander of the Third Army, claimed that planning for the coup had begun 7 months in advance, thus contradicting claims that the coup was executed as a reactive pre-emptive strike against violence and Sonthi's who had said "hundreds of thousands" of pro- and anti-Thaksin supporters planned to descend on Bangkok.
General Sonthi later said in an interview that the coup was originally planned for 20 September, to coincide with a major anti-Thaksin rally also planned for that day. He cited the "Portuguese example
5 October 1910 revolution
The revolution of 1910 was a republican coup d'état that occurred in Portugal on 5 October 1910, which deposed King Manuel II and established the Portuguese First Republic....
" in which anti-government rallies coincided with a successful military rebellion which overthrew King Manuel II of Portugal
Manuel II of Portugal
Manuel II , named Manuel Maria Filipe Carlos Amélio Luís Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Francisco de Assis Eugénio de Bragança Orleães Sabóia e Saxe-Coburgo-Gotha — , was the last King of Portugal from 1908 to 1910, ascending the throne after the assassination of his father and elder brother Manuel...
and established the Portuguese First Republic
Portuguese First Republic
The Portuguese First Republic spans a complex 16 year period in the history of Portugal, between the end of the period of constitutional monarchy marked by the 5 October 1910 revolution and the 28 May coup d'état of 1926...
. The coup was moved up to 19 September, when Thaksin was still in New York. Sonthi also stated that the coup was not an urgent measure mooted just a couple of days earlier. Sonthi also claimed that during a lunch that Thaksin had with the commanders of the armed forces, Thaksin had asked him "Will you stage a coup?" Sonthi replied: "I will." This contradicted earlier public statements where he denied that the military would stage a coup.
The Nation noted that the timing of the coup contains many instances of the number nine, a highly auspicious number in Thai numerology
Numerology
Numerology is any study of the purported mystical relationship between a count or measurement and life. It has many systems and traditions and beliefs...
. The coup occurred at the 19th day of the 9th month of Buddhist Era 2549. Coup leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin made a major public announcement on the morning after the coup at 9.39 am. The Nation earlier indicated 9:16 as the time for Sonthi's press conference and it should be noted that the Buddhist calendar
Buddhist calendar
The Buddhist calendar is used on mainland Southeast Asia in the countries of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Burma and Sri Lanka in several related forms. It is a lunisolar calendar having months that are alternately 29 and 30 days, with an intercalated day and a 30-day month added at regular intervals...
is in line with the Gregorian calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
only since 1941.
Coup financing
The junta was accused of paying Army officers 1.5 billion baht in order to participate in the coup. Junta leader Sonthi Boonyaratkalin stopped short of denying that the military spent money from a secret fund, saying "We certainly needed money for our people's food and other necessary expenses."Causes of the coup
Many causes of the coup were identified, both by the junta as well as by independent observers. Initial reasons stated by the junta were the Thaksin government's alleged creation of an "unprecedented rift in society", corruption, nepotism, interference in independent agencies, and insults to the King. Later reasons stated by junta leaders included Thaksin's alleged vote buying, plans to provoke violence, and weakening of the military.Two months after the coup, the junta issued a white paper
White paper
A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has also come to refer to...
identifying many reasons for the coup, including corruption, abuse of power, lack of integrity, interference in the checks and balances system, human rights violations, and destroying the unity of the people.
Independent analysts identified widely differing reasons for the coup. Thitinan Pongsudhirak
Thitinan Pongsudhirak
Thitinan Pongsudhirak is a Thai political scientist and a Professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. Thitinan completed his PhD from the London School of Economics. He completed an M.A. from the School of Advanced International Studies of the Johns Hopkins University and B.A...
of Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
alleged that the coup was due to conflicts between Thaksin and King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
. Biographer Paul Handley noted that "[the coup masterminds] did not want Thaksin in a position to exert influence on the passing of the Chakri Dynasty mantle to Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn." Giles Ungpakorn of Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
claimed that the coup was due to class conflicts between the rural poor (who supported Thaksin) and the urban elite (who supported the junta).
Photo-timeline of the coup, from dusk to dawn
The scene changed every hour as the coup progressed. Here is how it unfolded after the first tanks rolled in according to the observations of Manik Sethisuwan. Manik was one of a few citizens who was forced to spend the night on the street as his car had run out of gas. According to government laws as of September 2006, it was mandatory for all gas and petrol stations in the city to close-down during the hours of 2200 unto 0500 as a cost-saving measure. Hence he was forced to seek refuge near the international press personnel until it was possible for him to move out, as a result of which he was able to capture most of the event as it unfolded.Outside Thailand
After the coup, Thaksin flew from New York to London, where his daughter was a student. He was later joined by his family. General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said earlier that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra could return to the country, but warned he could face criminal charges. "Any prosecution would proceed under the law, and would depend on the evidence," Sonthi said. However, Privy CouncilorPrivy Council (Thailand)
The Privy Council of Thailand is a body of appointed advisors to the Monarch of Thailand: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The Council, as the Constitution of Thailand stipulates, must be composed of no more than eighteen members...
and interim Prime Minister General Surayud Chulanont
Surayud Chulanont
General Surayud Chulanont is a Thai political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's Interim Government between 2006 and 2008...
later warned against Thaksin's return, calling his return a "threat." "Myself and several other people understand that supporters and opponents will clash on the day that Thaksin returns home. It would be a big commotion," he said.
Deputy Premier Surakiart Sathirathai
Surakiart Sathirathai
Surakiart Sathirathai was, until September 19 2006, a Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand overseeing Foreign Affairs, Education and Culture.-Family and early career:...
was with Thaksin attending the UN General Assembly in New York when the military staged a coup on Tuesday against the prime minister. Surakiart was, at the time, in the hotly contested race to succeed UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
, a Thai official said. "The (new) Thai authorities have reaffirmed their support for Dr Surakiart's candidature for the UNSG," Thai ambassador to the United States Virasakdi Futrakul told AFP. "There's no change. He's still in the race." The former Deputy Premier had left for Bangkok after the Junta took power.
Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya
Thanong Bidaya
Thanong Bidaya is a Thai politician and deposed Finance Minister. After the military overthrew the government of Thaksin Shinawatra, he remained in Singapore where he was attending the annual meeting of the World Bank/IMF....
remained in Singapore where he was attending the annual meeting of the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
/IMF
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
. Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak
Somkid Jatusripitak
Somkid Jatusripitak , Chinese: 曾汉光, Thai politician, is a former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce of Thailand. He was a leader and cofounder of the populist Thai Rak Thai party. His wife, Anurachanee Jatusripitak, teaches at Chulalongkorn University...
remained in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
but returned to Bangkok on Thursday. Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon
Kantathi Suphamongkhon
Dr. Kantathi Suphamongkhon is the 39th Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand. He served as Foreign Minister during the administration of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from 11 March 2005 until the military coup d'état on 19 September 2006.Suphamongkhon is now the University of...
flew from Paris, where he was attending the Thai-France Cultural Exhibition presided over by HRH Princess Sirindhorn
Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is the second daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Thais commonly refer to her as Phra Thep, meaning "princess angel." Because her title in Thai is the female equivalent of the title held by her brother, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, she is informally referred...
, to Germany, before returning to Bangkok.
Agriculture Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan
Sudarat Keyuraphan
Sudarat Keyuraphan is a Thai politician and the deputy leader of the Thai Rak Thai party. She served as the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand in the Thai Rak Thai government until its ousting in the September 2006 coup.Born in Bangkok, Sudarat is a graduate of Chulalongkorn...
was reported to have fled to Paris with her family. Thai Rak Thai
Thai Rak Thai
The Thai Rak Thai Party was a Thai political party that was officially banned on May 30, 2007, by the Constitutional Court of Thailand due to violations of electoral laws during the 2006 legislative elections. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under Prime Minister and its founder Thaksin...
party executive and former Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana left the country for Germany.
Arrested or detained by the junta
Deputy Prime Minister in charge of national security Chitchai WannasathitChitchai Wannasathit
Chitchai Wannasathit was the caretaker prime minister of Thailand from April to May 2006, when Thaksin Shinawatra took a break from his duties as prime minister following a disappointing showing in elections. Thaksin returned to his duties after more than a month...
was arrested after the coup and detained at the Army Command. He was detained on Wednesday and is now being held at a guesthouse on the northern outskirts of Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, according to army spokesman Colonel Acar Tiproj. Defence Minister Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya
Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya
Thammarak Isarangkura na Ayuthaya is a former Thai military officer, Member of Parliament, co-founder of the Thai Rak Thai Party, and former defence minister...
is in hiding. His whereabouts are unknown. Former Secretary-General to the Premier Prommin Lertsuridej
Prommin Lertsuridej
Prommin Lertsuridej, M.D. was a Thai politician, former student leader, former Secretary General to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, former Deputy Prime Minister in charge of economic affairs, and former Minister of Energy in the Thaksin government...
and Labor Ministry Permanent Secretary Somchai Wongsawat (who is Thaksin's brother-in-law) were also placed under arrest on the second floor of the Army Command building. The Secretary-General was last reported being detained at the same guesthouse as the Deputy Chitchai Wannasathit
Chitchai Wannasathit
Chitchai Wannasathit was the caretaker prime minister of Thailand from April to May 2006, when Thaksin Shinawatra took a break from his duties as prime minister following a disappointing showing in elections. Thaksin returned to his duties after more than a month...
.
Natural Resources and Environmental Minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat and Deputy Agriculture Minister Newin Chidchop
Newin Chidchop
Newin Chidchob is a Thai politician. As a member of several political parties, Newin and his allies eventually joined the Thai Rak Thai Party of Thaksin Shinawatra in 2005. Until the 2006 Thai coup d'état, he served as a member of the Parliament for Buriram Province and was a Cabinet minister with...
were ordered to report themselves to the junta by noon Thursday. The junta did not specify what punishment they would receive if they failed to report. At the time, there were reports that both Yongyuth and Newin were in London. Troops raided Yongyuth's houses in Mae Chan district of Chiang Rai province (at 10.35 Wednesday) and Bangkok (Wednesday night), but did not find him. Both Yongyuth and Newin reported themselves at Army Headquarters on Thursday, and were detained.
Chidchai Wannasathit, Newin Chidchop, Yongyuth Tiyapairat, and Prommin Lertsuridet were freed after the Interim Charter was promulgated. The status of Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya was unknown.
In Thailand
Several party executives including Chaturon ChaisangChaturon Chaisang
Chaturon Chaisang is a Thai politician and former Deputy Prime Minister. He was a leader of the New Aspiration Party, and became an ally of Thaksin Shinawatra when New Aspiration merged into Thai Rak Thai after the 2001 general elections.- Education :...
, Phumtham Wechayachai and Suranand Vejjajiva were reported to still be in Thailand and not arrested by the junta. TRT MP Veera Musikapong was also at liberty. Party Deputy and Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit
Suriya Jungrungreangkit
Suriya Jungrungreangkit is a Thai politician of the Thai Rak Thai party. Since 2002 he is the Minister of Transport of Thailand...
and former Social Development and Human Security Minister Watana Muangsook were reported to be staying in the country at an unidentified location.
Civil servants, government agencies and family
The junta initiated the removal from the civil service of people appointed by the Thaksin government as well as his former classmates at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory SchoolArmed Forces Academies Preparatory School, Thailand
The Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School or AFAPS is a Thai military academy, providing an education equivalent to the last three years of senior high school . It is under the command of the Education Department of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters...
. Several military officers were transferred to inactive posts. Also removed were 18 senior police officers which the junta claimed could pose a threat to national security if they were to remain in their current posts. For a list of transferred military and police officers, see Removal from the civil service by the CDR. In early February, Police Commissioner-General Kowit Wattana himself was ousted for investigating military involvement in the 2007 Bangkok bombings.
The purge was completed in the junta's mid-year military reshuffle of April 2007, when all senior officers perceived as loyal to the Thaksin government were removed and replaced with officers trusted by the new regime.
The junta affirmed on 20 September that along with the abolition of the Constitution, the Constitutional Court
Constitutional Court of Thailand
The Constitutional Court of Thailand is an independent Thai court originally established under the 1997 Constitution with jurisdiction over the constitutionality of parliamentary acts, royal decrees, draft legislation, as well as the appointment and removal of public officials and issues regarding...
and other independent organisations set up under the abrogated charter were automatically abolished. However, the status of Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka
Jaruvan Maintaka
Khun Ying Jaruvan Maintaka is the current Auditor-General of the Kingdom of Thailand. She refused to resign her position after the Constitutional Court of Thailand ruled that her nomination was illegal. She is well known for her public criticism of deposed Premier Thaksin Shinawatra...
was maintained by an order of the junta. The same order dissolved the State Audit Commission. She appeared when summoned along with senior government officials by the junta.
Surasit Sangkhapong, director of the Government Lottery Office and an aide of Thaksin resigned to allow Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka
Jaruvan Maintaka
Khun Ying Jaruvan Maintaka is the current Auditor-General of the Kingdom of Thailand. She refused to resign her position after the Constitutional Court of Thailand ruled that her nomination was illegal. She is well known for her public criticism of deposed Premier Thaksin Shinawatra...
to conduct an investigation into an allegation of irregularity.
Pol Col Priewphan Damapong, Deputy Police Commissioner-General and brother-in-law of Thaksin Shinawatra, reported himself to the national police chief in line with the junta's orders.
Thaksin's wife and son, initially reported as having left Thailand for Singapore ahead of the declaration of martial law, were later reported in Thailand. It was suggested they remained to look after the family's finances. On Monday 25 September Pojaman Shinawatra left Bangkok at 1:30 am (1830 GMT) to join her husband in London.
Council for Democratic Reform
The junta ruled with a series of announcements. An early announcement asked the media to call it by its full name, the Council for Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM), rather than just the Council for Democratic Reform (CDR). The junta said that the public might be misled if it wasn't understood that the junta was working "under the Constitutional Monarchy". Later, the junta formally shortened its English name (but not its Thai name) to Council for Democratic Reform (CDR) in order to avoid any suspicions about the role of the monarchy in the coup.The 11th official announcement of the military regime outlined its leadership. It was composed of the leaders of all branches of the Thai military and police.
- Army Commander General Sonthi BoonyaratglinSonthi BoonyaratglinGeneral Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
, named Chief of the Council for Democratic Reform - Navy Commander Admiral Sathiraphan KeyanonSathiraphan KeyanonAdmiral Sathiraphan Keyanon is a Thai naval officer, Commander of the Royal Thai Navy, and a deputy in the military junta that overthrew the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a 2006 military coup...
, named first deputy chief of CDR - Air Force Commander Air Chief Marshal Chalit PookpasukChalit PookpasukAir Chief Marshal Chalit Pookpasuk was Thai air force officer, Commander of the Royal Thai Air Force, and acting chairman of Council for National Security, the junta that overthrew the government of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in the 2006 coup d'état.-Biography:Chalit graduated from...
, named second deputy chief of CDR - Police Commissioner-General Police General Kowit WattanaKowit WattanaKowit Wattana is a Thai Police General and politician. From 2004 to 2007 he was the Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police. In 2008, he was Minister of the Interior, and since 2011 he has been Deputy Prime Minister under Yingluck Shinawatra...
, named third deputy chief of CDR - National Security Council Secretary-General General Winai Phatthiyakul, named Secretary-General of the CDR
- Supreme Commander General Ruangroj MahasaranonRuangroj MahasaranonGeneral Ruangroj Mahasaranon is the Supreme Commander General of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Following the 2006 Thailand coup d'état, ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra attempted to put Ruangroj in power until Thaksin returned. However, Ruangroj was later named the Chief Advisor to the...
, named Chief Adviser to the CDR
On 20 September 2006 (local time in Bangkok), the junta denied that it had appointed a Prime Minister, and noted that General Sonthi Boonyaratglin had the powers of a Premier.
A week after the coup, Sonthi's former classmate General Boonsrang Naimpradit was promoted from Deputy Supreme Commander to the post of Supreme Commander, replacing Ruangroj Mahasaranon
Ruangroj Mahasaranon
General Ruangroj Mahasaranon is the Supreme Commander General of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Following the 2006 Thailand coup d'état, ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra attempted to put Ruangroj in power until Thaksin returned. However, Ruangroj was later named the Chief Advisor to the...
. Junta Secretary General, Winai Phattiyakul, was promoted to the post of Permanent Secretary for Defence.
Gen Sonthi also promoted his fellow classmates and lieutenants in the coup, 1st Army Region Commander Lt-Gen Anupong Paochinda
Anupong Paochinda
General Anupong Paochinda is a former Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army. He held the position from 2007 until his retirement on 30 September 2010....
and 3rd Army Region Commander Lt-Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr
Saprang Kalayanamitr
General Saprang Kalayanamitr is a retired officer of the Royal Thai Army, Assistant Secretary-General of the Council for National Security, Commander of the junta's 14,000-man anti-protest force, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Airports of Thailand , and also Chairman of the Boards of TOT...
, to the post of Assistant Army Commander.
Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin told Reuters news agency :"I can assure you it is impossible that we will control the government. [...] We will be the government's tool to keep peace."
In its 16th announcement, the CDR gave itself the role of parliament. On 22 September, the junta gave Police General Kowit Wattana
Kowit Wattana
Kowit Wattana is a Thai Police General and politician. From 2004 to 2007 he was the Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police. In 2008, he was Minister of the Interior, and since 2011 he has been Deputy Prime Minister under Yingluck Shinawatra...
absolute power over all police matters and named him chair of a new National Police Commission to rewrite the 2004 National Police Bill.
Appointment of advisory committee
The junta ordered 58 prominent civilians to serve as its advisers. However, most of the appointees denied any knowledge of the appointments, with several saying they couldn't serve. "I have said that the coup is wrong, how can I serve as its advisory board?" asked Chaiwat Satha-anand of the Faculty of Political Science of Chulalongkorn UniversityChulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
. Pratheep Ungsongtham Hata, who was appointed to the reconciliation panel, also boycotted the CDR's advisory board, noting that as a democracy advocate, she could not work with the CDR, which took power by unconstitutional means. Pibhob Dhongchai, a leader of the defunct anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy
People's Alliance for Democracy
The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...
, said he could not participate in the reconciliation panel because he was a member of the National Economic and Social Advisory Council, and already had a channel to advise the government.
Pasuk Pongpaichit, an anti-Thaksin economist who had also been appointed, denied that she would serve as an advisor, using as her excuse an impending extended trip to Japan. However, some appointees welcomed their appointments, like Nakharin Mektrairat and Thawee Suraritthikul, the deans of the Faculty of Political Science of Thammasat and Sukhothai Thammathirat University, respectively. When asked by the press why the junta had not informed the appointees of their appointments, the CDR spokesman Lt-Gen Palangoon Klaharn said: "It is not necessary. Some matters are urgent. It is an honour to help the country. I believe that those who have been named will not reject the appointment because we haven't damaged their reputation."
Investigation of the deposed government
The junta established a committee empowered to investigate any projects or acts by members of the Thaksin government and others who were suspected of any irregularities, including personal tax evasion. The committee, chaired by Nam YimyaemNam Yimyaem
Nam Yimyaem is a retired judge of the Supreme Court of Thailand, former deputy Supreme Court President, and currently chairperson of a committee investigating the assets of deposed Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.-April 2006 election:...
, had the authority to freeze the assets of members and families of the Thaksin government accused of corruption and was composed of several figures who had been publicly critical of the Thaksin government, including Kaewsan Atibhoti, Jaruvan Maintaka
Jaruvan Maintaka
Khun Ying Jaruvan Maintaka is the current Auditor-General of the Kingdom of Thailand. She refused to resign her position after the Constitutional Court of Thailand ruled that her nomination was illegal. She is well known for her public criticism of deposed Premier Thaksin Shinawatra...
, Banjerd Singkaneti
Banjerd Singkaneti
Banjerd Singkaneti is an Assistant Professor of Law at Thammasat University and a noted critic of Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.-Education and early career:Banjerd completed an LL.B. at Bangkok's Ramkhamhaeng University. He received an LL.M...
, Klanarong Chantik, and Sak Korsaengruang.
A separate decree (No. 31) gave the NCCC the authority to freeze the assets of politicians who failed to report their financial status by a deadline or intentionally reported false information. Another decree (No. 27) increased the penalty for political party executives whose parties had been ordered dissolved, from simply banning them from forming or becoming executives of a new party, to stripping them of their electoral rights for five years.
Interim constitution
A draft interim constitution was released on 27 September 2006, and received mixed reactions. Structurally, the draft was similar to the 1991 Constitution, the 1976 Constitution, and the 1959 Charter, in that it allows an extremely powerful executive branch to appoint the entire legislature. The CDR, which would be transformed into a Council for National Security (CNS), would appoint the head of the executive branch, the entire legislature, and the drafters of a permanent constitution.Thailand's future government
Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin, leader of the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy told foreign diplomats that a civilian government and prime minister would be appointed to run the country within two weeks. The constitution would be amended for a rapid return to democracy through a national election in a year's time. This would imply that the October 2006 electionsThailand legislative election, October 2006
After Thailand's April 2006 elections were declared invalid by the Constitutional Court, it was decided that new elections would be held on 15 October 2006...
will not take place as scheduled.
Sonthi confirmed a previous statement saying that Thaksin and the members of his cabinet have done no wrong and can return to Thailand. However, Privy Councilor
Privy Council (Thailand)
The Privy Council of Thailand is a body of appointed advisors to the Monarch of Thailand: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The Council, as the Constitution of Thailand stipulates, must be composed of no more than eighteen members...
and top contender of appointment as interim Prime Minister General Surayud Chulanont
Surayud Chulanont
General Surayud Chulanont is a Thai political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's Interim Government between 2006 and 2008...
warned against Thaksin's return, calling his return a "threat."<
Sonthi said Thailand was and still is a democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and that tourists can continue to visit the country normally. The U.S. State Department has not issued a travel warning for Thailand, but has advised tourists to be vigilant.
On 20 September 2006, Thailand's Army chief and current interim leader, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, pledged to hold general elections by October 2007.
Many civilians were rumored to have been short-listed for appointment to figurehead Prime Minister. These included General Surayud Chulanont
Surayud Chulanont
General Surayud Chulanont is a Thai political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's Interim Government between 2006 and 2008...
(Privy Councilor
Privy Council (Thailand)
The Privy Council of Thailand is a body of appointed advisors to the Monarch of Thailand: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The Council, as the Constitution of Thailand stipulates, must be composed of no more than eighteen members...
to King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
), Akharathorn Chularat, (Chief Justice of the Supreme Administrative Court), and Pridiyathorn Devakula
Pridiyathorn Devakula
Mom Rajawongse Pridiyathorn Devakula served as Minister of Finance in Thailand's interim civilian government. Before being named to the Cabinet of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, Pridiyathorn had served as Governor of the Bank of Thailand since 2001...
, (Governor of the Bank of Thailand
Bank of Thailand
- History :The Bank of Thailand was first set up as the Thai National Banking Bureau. The Bank of Thailand Act was promulgated on 28 April 1942 vesting upon the Bank of Thailand the responsibility for all central banking functions...
), and Supachai Panitchpakdi
Supachai Panitchpakdi
Supachai Panitchpakdi is the Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development . Prior to this, he was the Director-General of the World Trade Organization from September 1, 2002 to September 1, 2005...
(Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body. It is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues....
).
On 26 September 2006, junta leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin said that the junta would remain in place after the appointment of a civilian government, noting "It's necessary to keep the council so that there is no loophole for the executive branch."
Following the appointment of a new interim civilian government, the junta would be transformed into a permanent "Council of National Security". It will dissolve itself once the general election is held a year later.
Restrictions on human rights and freedom of expression
For general information about the Thai media, see Media in Thailand. For information about censorship in Thailand prior to the coup see Censorship in ThailandCensorship in Thailand
Freedom of speech in Thailand was guaranteed in the articles 39, 40, 41 in the 1997 Constitution.According to those articles, censorship may be imposed to preserve national security, maintain public order, preserve the rights of others, protect public morals, and prevent criticism of the royal...
.
Over 90% of Thais own a television and over 50% own a radio. For most Thais, TV and radio are the only source of daily news and information about the coup. Less than 20% of the population reads daily newspapers. As of 2004 Internet users made up less than 12% of the population nationwide, and 26% in the Bangkok area. The junta imposed and maintained censorship on television from the first day of the coup onwards. However, no newspaper publications were suppressed and censorship of the Internet did not start until several days after the coup.
Restrictions on broadcasting and the press
The CDR demanded the cooperation of the Thai mass media and authorised the censorship of news reports that might be negative to the military. During the first 12 hours of the coup information was available only to those able to access the Internet or receive TV channels by satellites not controlled by the junta.Television censorship
On the evening of Tuesday 19 September, regular programmes on Thai television channels were replaced by video clips and music authored by the King. The next day, shortly after Sondhi's TV conference, all Thai channels were back on air under control of the ICT Ministry authorised to censor information.
On Thursday 21 September 2006, the CDR summoned media executives to Army Headquarters and ordered them to stop carrying expressions of public opinion. This included a ban against the common practice of broadcasting viewers' text messages
Short message service
Short Message Service is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices...
on a news ticker
News ticker
A news ticker resides in the lower third of the television screen space on television news networks dedicated to presenting headlines or minor pieces of news. It may also refer to a long, thin scoreboard-style display seen around the front of some offices or public buildings...
. The junta did not say whether the ban would extend to newspaper editorials or internet web boards.
Thai television broadcasters did not air footage of demonstrations against the coup, including the first major protest on 22 September at Siam Square.
Local cable broadcasts of CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
, NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
, and several other several other foreign news channels were censored, with any footage involving former Premier Thaksin
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
blacked out.
On Thursday September 21, 2006, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
disclosed that armed soldiers are sitting in every television news studio and control room. As of Thursday October 12, 2006, Suwanna Uyanan, vice president of the Thai Broadcasting Journalists Association, says that soldiers are still occupying Channel 11, where she works.
The nine members of Board of Directors of MCOT
MCOT
MCOT Public Company Limited )) is a Thai media conglomerate. Its origins date back to the creation in 1955 of Thailand's first television broadcaster, The Thai Television Company Limited. In 1977, this company was reconstituted as a state enterprise, the Mass Communications Organization of Thailand...
, a privatised state-owned media company, resigned on 26 September with effect as of 27 September in order to take responsibility for allowing Thaksin Shinwatra to address the nation on MCOT-controlled Modernine TV (Channel 9).
Radio censorship
On Thursday 21 September 2006, the CDR ordered more than 300 community radio stations in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai Province
Chiang Mai is the second-largest province of Thailand, located in the north of the country. Neighboring provinces are Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lamphun, Tak, and Mae Hong Son. In the north it borders Shan State of Burma...
, Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai Province
Chiang Rai is the northernmost province of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are Phayao, Lampang and Chiang Mai. In the north it borders Shan State of Myanmar and Bokeo of Laos.-Geography:...
, and Mae Hong Son
Mae Hong Son Province
Most of the areas of Mae Hong Son Province are complex mountain ranges and likely still pristine virgin forest. Of the approximately 6,976,650 rai of national forest reserves, 88.02% is thought to be pristine virgin forest...
to suspend broadcasts. Community radio stations in Lamphun, Lampang, and Phayao were also ordered to turn their transmitters off. In addition, the pro-Thaksin Muan Chon Community Radio in Udon Thani stopped broadcasting on Wednesday. Police were stationed at the radio building as well as the office of Siang Tham Community Radio Station, owned by revered monk Luang Ta Maha Bua. Maha Bua had been a key supporter of the People's Alliance for Democracy
People's Alliance for Democracy
The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...
.
In response to the community radio ban, some station operators vowed to air only non political programmes. They promised self-censorship to ensure their programmes would not infringe against CDR rules. Others in the North initiated a signed pledge campaign that they would not become involved in politics and that their programming would be completely free of politics.
Press censorship
The websites of the leading Bangkok newspapers Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
The Bangkok Post is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. The first issue was sold on August 1, 1946. It had four pages and cost 1 baht, a considerable amount at the time....
, The Nation
The Nation (Thailand)
The Nation is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper founded in 1971 and published in Bangkok, Thailand, and is owned by the Nation Multimedia Group.The Nation is a member of the Asia News Network...
and Thai Rath
Thai Rath
Thai Rath is a Thai-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok and distributed nationwide. The paper is a broadsheet published with two sections. The first section is devoted to news. Although the news section is best known for its sensationalist coverage of crime and accidents, it also...
had been functioning normally and were reporting the coup. Both the Bangkok Post and The Nation had been strong critics of the deposed government. The Daily News
Daily News (Thailand)
-History:Daily News was founded by Saeng Hetrakul , and published its first issue on March 28, 1964, under the name Naew Na Haeng Yuk Daily News .-External links:*...
website included extensive photographic coverage of the military operations. On the morning of Wednesday, 20 September newspapers were available as usual.
On Saturday 23 September 2006, the CDR said they would "urgently retaliate against foreign reporters whose coverage has been deemed insulting to the monarchy." Numerous international news agencies speculated at the King's role in the coup (see Role and position of the King).
Internet censorship
On September 21, during a meeting with internet service providers and operators of TV stations, radio stations and other ICT businesses, the ICT Ministry (ICT) asked webmasters to close political webboards found to contain provocative messages for 12 days. Kraisorn Pornsuthee, ICT Permanent Secretary said that websites and webboards will face permanent closure if such messages continue to appear, but that messages could be posted on webboards as long as they do not provoke any misunderstandings. The anti-coup website 19sep.org was shut down, but later relocated to the US. The official website of the Thai Rak Thai
Thai Rak Thai
The Thai Rak Thai Party was a Thai political party that was officially banned on May 30, 2007, by the Constitutional Court of Thailand due to violations of electoral laws during the 2006 legislative elections. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under Prime Minister and its founder Thaksin...
party was also shut down.
On September 27, the ICT ministry confirmed that at least 10 websites were shut down for violating the junta's regulations.
The Midnight University website, a free scholarly resource and discussion board, was temporarily shut down after the management of Midnight University and scholars from Chiang Mai University
Chiang Mai University
Chiang Mai University is a public research university in northern Thailand founded in 1964 with a strong emphasis on engineering, science, and agriculture. Its instructional mission includes undergraduate, graduate, professional and continuing education offered through resident instruction...
conducted a protest against the junta's draft interim charter. Somkiat Tangnamo, the webmaster of Midnight University, claimed the site contained 1,500 free scholarly articles and received 2.5 million visits per month. Kasian Tejapira of Thammasat University
Thammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
claimed the website was "the foremost free and critical educational and public intellectual website in Thailand. The shutdown is not only a huge loss to academic and intellectual freedom in Thai society, but also the closure of a free forum for the contention of ideas so as to find a peaceful alternative to violent conflict in Thailand". Kraisorn Pornsuthee ICT Ministry permanent secretary said he did not know about the shutdown of the website and would ask for details from his officials.
In the second week after the coup, the Thai Rak Thai website was temporarily inaccessible, without indication if it was an act of censure or not. The Thaksin.com website used by Thaksin to receive mails and comments from his supporters and to promote himself was also inaccessible.
On April 8, 2005, a very popular political webboard "Rajdumnern" on www.pantip.com/cafe (Pantip) was suspended. At first, the ICT ministry claimed that the content on the webboard was a threat to national security and had some content that might be considered Lese Majeste
Lèse majesté
Lese-majesty is the crime of violating majesty, an offence against the dignity of a reigning sovereign or against a state.This behavior was first classified as a criminal offence against the dignity of the Roman republic in Ancient Rome...
. However, the following day, the news was conflicting. The ICT ministry said that Pantip's webmaster suspended the service by itself because they were unable to control the content on the website. On the other hand, Pantip webmaster claimed that they received a phone call from member of ICT minister threatening to block the whole site if "Rajdumnern" was not closed down. At that time, on the first page of Rajdumneren, the Pantip webmaster posted a message saying that they had to close Rajdumnern due to the volatility of the situation. Further on April 10, 2005, the Rajdumnern webboard became active again. This time, the message from the webmaster said "after consulting with the ICT ministry, the principle of 'Free Speech' was upheld, thus allowing the criticizing of the work of the cabinet and CNS on the truth and responsible basis. [the webmaster] had considered that they are capable of controlling the content to within acceptable scope, therefore the 'Rajdumnern' webboard became active again."
Restrictions on political meetings and political parties
The military also banned any gathering of five or more people for political purposes, threatening violators with six months in jail. On Wednesday 20 September, the military arrested activist Chalard WorachatChalard Worachat
Chalard Worachat is a Thai activist. His 1992 hunger strike helped bring down the military government. His 1994 hunger strike forced the government of Chuan Leekpai to establish a committee to amend the constitution of Thailand. Following the 2006 Thailand coup d'état, he was arrested by military...
along with hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
r and former MP Thawee Kraikup at Democracy Monument while they were peacefully protesting against the coup.
The anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy
People's Alliance for Democracy
The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...
formally cancelled its scheduled rally for 20 September 2006 and later dissolved itself, after having reached its self-set goal of toppling the Thaksin government. The status of the Mass Party, established by PAD leaders, was not known.
Thailand's coup leaders Thursday banned political parties from holding meetings or from conducting any other activities, according to a statement read on national television. The junta also barred the establishment of new political parties.
"Political gatherings of more than five people have already been banned, but political activities can resume when normalcy is restored," the statement said.
In its 22nd Announcement, the junta ordered a complete ban on all political activities, including those at the local level like tambon administrative organizations and provincial administrative organisations.
Despite the bans, the organizers of the Thai Social Forum, a major nation-wide conference of 300 social and political activists, insisted that the meeting would continue to take place at Thammasat University's
Thammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
Rangsit Center from 21-23 October. Jon Ungphakorn, an organizer said that the stress of the conference would be media reform and press freedom.
Restrictions on the right to travel
The military interpreted the restriction on the right to assembly as a restriction against travel, in at least one case. On the night of 25 September, 100 teachers from Chiang RaiChiang Rai Province
Chiang Rai is the northernmost province of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are Phayao, Lampang and Chiang Mai. In the north it borders Shan State of Myanmar and Bokeo of Laos.-Geography:...
(in the North) were traveling via bus to attend a social function in Chonburi
Chonburi Province
Chonburi is a province of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi and Rayong. To the west is the Gulf of Thailand. The eastern seaboard is heavily industrialized and underpinned by shipping, transportation, tourism, and manufacturing industries, and second to only Bangkok...
(on the eastern coast) when they were stopped by soldiers at a checkpoint. The soldiers refused to allow the two busloads of teachers to continue because they failed to provide a permit from the Chiang Rai Army Commander for them to move in a group larger than five people.
Large groups travelling into Bangkok were required to seek authorization from their District Offices.
Role and position of the King
It was assumed by some Thai analysts and the international media that the coup had the support of King Bhumibol AdulyadejBhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
. For some analysts, the silence of both the King and Privy Council
Privy Council (Thailand)
The Privy Council of Thailand is a body of appointed advisors to the Monarch of Thailand: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The Council, as the Constitution of Thailand stipulates, must be composed of no more than eighteen members...
President General Prem Tinsulanonda
Prem Tinsulanonda
General Prem Tinsulanonda is a retired Thai military officer who served as Prime Minister of Thailand from March 3, 1980 to August 4, 1988. He now serves as the Head of the Privy Council of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej....
on the day following the coup was taken as indicating support. Remarks made earlier in 2006 by Thaksin had been widely understood as a criticism of Prem's continued influence in Thai politics.
Royal endorsement is critical to establishing legitimacy for military rebellions - every successful coup over the past 60 years has been endorsed by King Bhumibol. Previous unendorsed coups in 1981 and 1985 failed after at most a few days. For background, see King Bhumibol's role in Thai politics.
On 14 July 2006, Privy Council
Privy Council (Thailand)
The Privy Council of Thailand is a body of appointed advisors to the Monarch of Thailand: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The Council, as the Constitution of Thailand stipulates, must be composed of no more than eighteen members...
President Prem Tinsulanonda
Prem Tinsulanonda
General Prem Tinsulanonda is a retired Thai military officer who served as Prime Minister of Thailand from March 3, 1980 to August 4, 1988. He now serves as the Head of the Privy Council of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej....
addressed graduating cadets of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy or CRMA is the military academy of Royal Thai Army. Established in 1887 it has graduated the vast majority of Thailand's military leaders and many of them become Thai Prime Ministers.-History:...
, telling them that the Thai military must obey the orders of the King - not the Government. Prem was a harsh critic of Thaksin, comparing him to Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
.
At the time that Special Forces started mobilizing from Lopburi to Bangkok, Prem was having an audience with the King. This led to speculation outside Thailand that the King had advance knowledge of the coup, or even that he had executive control over it, although there was no direct evidence for this. The day after the coup, the King endorsed it and its leader. Given the extensive reserve powers retained by the King, this statement gave legitimacy to the coup and legal authority to Sonthi's position.
Some Thai analysts have said that the King must have at least been in favour of the coup. "The role of the king was critical in this crisis," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak
Thitinan Pongsudhirak
Thitinan Pongsudhirak is a Thai political scientist and a Professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. Thitinan completed his PhD from the London School of Economics. He completed an M.A. from the School of Advanced International Studies of the Johns Hopkins University and B.A...
of Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
, adding that "This coup was nothing short of Thaksin versus the King. He is widely seen as having implicitly endorsed the coup." Thitinan said he believed the King had allowed the coup to take place as it was the best option available. "What we were heading for otherwise was violence in the streets," he said.
Sulak Sivaraksa
Sulak Sivaraksa
Sulak Sivaraksa [] is founder and director of the Thai NGO “Sathirakoses-Nagapradeepa Foundation”, named after two authorities on Thai culture, Sathirakoses and Nagapradeepa...
, a well-known social critic, said, "Without his involvement, the coup would have been impossible." Sulak added that the King is "very skilful. He never becomes obviously involved. If this coup goes wrong, Sonthi
Sonthi Boonyaratglin
General Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
will get the blame, but whatever happens, the King will only get praise."
The Bangkok correspondent of The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
, Peter Alford, wrote: "The King's overriding commitment has always been to social stability… and by December last year, he had clearly lost any faith in Thaksin's capacity to govern without wedging the country apart… All Prem need do is refrain from criticising the coup… for almost all Thais to believe they know the King's will."
On April 13, 2008, the Asia Sentinel writes: "Never mind elections, the fate of Thaksin's proxy party could be decided, yet again, by Thailand's royalist judges and generals. Thailand's proxy war between loyalists to deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Bangkok's royalist elite is stirring once again, with the outcome as uncertain as ever."
National reactions
The coup occurred after nearly two years of escalating anti-Thaksin sentiment, particularly in Bangkok. Even long-standing rural supporters of Thaksin reported increasing frustration at the tensions caused by the Thailand political crisis 2005-2006Thailand political crisis 2005-2006
In 2005 and 2006, a series of events occurred in Thailand as a result of an unrest with Thaksin Shinawatra that was supported by Sondhi Limthongkul and his coalitions...
.
Public support for the coup has been widely aired and published whilst public expression of opinion against the coup has been limited by the military control over the media, the ban on protests and political activity, and the arrest of some Cabinet members by the junta. Protest has also arisen from both pro- and anti- Thaksin supporters and is directed against the use of military power to resolve a political stalemate. Protest is also limited following the king's endorsement of the coup and the junta's use of a royal decree that legitimizes the coup. See also Censorship in Thailand
Censorship in Thailand
Freedom of speech in Thailand was guaranteed in the articles 39, 40, 41 in the 1997 Constitution.According to those articles, censorship may be imposed to preserve national security, maintain public order, preserve the rights of others, protect public morals, and prevent criticism of the royal...
.
Reactions from the Thai Rak Thai and its supporters
With Thaksin and most of the Thai Rak ThaiThai Rak Thai
The Thai Rak Thai Party was a Thai political party that was officially banned on May 30, 2007, by the Constitutional Court of Thailand due to violations of electoral laws during the 2006 legislative elections. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under Prime Minister and its founder Thaksin...
-party leaders in London and some of its top executives in detention, the reaction of the TRT has been minimal. Several former party leaders believe the party will have to be dissolved. Former Khon Kaen MP Prajak Kaewklaharn said "When we have no leader and no executives, the party cannot continue"
A former TRT MP from Udon Thani, Thirachai Saenkaew, called for the junta to allow party-leader Thaksin Shinawatra to contest the next election. Thirachai claimed that TRT supporters wanted Thaksin to return to politics after the political reform.
Former Udon Thani MP Theerachai Saenkaew said his constituents would still vote for Thaksin and his party at the next general election. "Following the normalisation of the political situation, democratic rule should move forward in accordance with the voice of the people," Theerachai said.
Former Sakon Nakhon MP Chalermchai Ulankul a member of a faction allied with Suchart Tancharoen, a key TRT figure said he and others might be unemployed for about a year. However, he said his group was "firm" and preparing to run in the election next year. "As long as the Thai Rak Thai Party is not dissolved, we can't say we will move to be under any other party. However, I don't know who will continue the TRT."
Nearly two weeks after the coup, TRT's deputy leader Sonthaya Kuenpluem and his 20-member faction resigned from the party. Somsak Thepsuthin, another TRT's deputy leader said he and his Wan Nam Yom faction which has about 80 members would also submit their resignation. The move comes after the CDR issued an order banning from political activities for five years all executive members of a party that has been dissolved. TRT is currently under investigation and could be dissolved for hiring smaller party during the April 2006 election.
On Tuesday 2 October ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and former Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusipitak resigned from Thai Rak Thai Party.
Reactions from grass-root supporters who lack political organisation have been muted. A woman who benefited from Thaksin populist policies
Thaksinomics
Thaksinomics is a term used to refer to the economic set of policies of Thaksin Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001-2006. There has been considerable controversy over the role Thaksinomics has played in Thailand's recovery from the 1997 Asian financial crisis...
said "He gave me a chance to keep my daughter alive. He gave us food when we were in need. Now that he's been chased out, the poor have lost their closest friend.'"
Public support
A group of lecturers and students from Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon briefly held a rally in front of Army headquarters to urge their counterparts from Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
and Thammasat Universities
Thammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
not to be opposed to the coup. Many students from Chulalongkorn University also supported the coup.
The Campaign for Popular Democracy, which coordinates 32 civic groups, 6 universities and 169 NGOs, came out in support of the coup, as did several politicians, including former Senator Kraisak Choonhavan
Kraisak Choonhavan
Kraisak Choonhavan is a Thai politician. He was a member of the Senate for Nakhon Ratchasima Province from 2000 till 2006.Born as son of former prime minister General Chatichai Choonhavan and Than Phu Ying Bunruen Choonhavan, Kraisak received a Bachelor Degree in International Relations at the...
. Kraisak, whose father Chatichai Choonhavan
Chatichai Choonhavan
General Chatichai Choonhavan was the Prime Minister of Thailand from 1988 to 1991. He was the only son of Field Marshal Phin Choonhavan, and is of Thai Chinese descent with ancestry from Chenghai District...
had been deposed by a coup in 1991, said, "This is the first coup where I don't have to watch my back."
A demonstration also occurred in front of the UN Building in New York City in support of the coup.
Public disapproval
Former prime minister Chuan Leekpai
Chuan Leekpai
Chuan Leekpai was the Prime Minister of Thailand from September 20, 1992 to May 19, 1995 and again from November 9, 1997 to February 9, 2001. A third-generation Thai Chinese, Chuan was born in Trang province in a grass-roofed house. The walls of his family's house were woven from strips of...
said of the events, "As politicians, we do not support any kind of coup, but during the past five years, the government of Thaksin created several conditions that forced the military to stage the coup. Thaksin has caused the crisis in the country."
Anand Panyarachun
Anand Panyarachun
Anand Panyarachun was Thailand's Prime Minister twice, between 1991–1992 and once again in 1992. He was effective in initiating economic and political reforms, one of which was the drafting of Thailand's "Peoples' Constitution", which was promulgated in 1997 and abrogated in 2006...
, one of Thailand's most respected intellectuals, head of drafting committee of the 1997 Constitution
Constitution of Thailand
The Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand is the supreme law of Thailand. Since the change from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional democracy in 1932, Thailand has had 17 charters and constitutions, reflecting the high degree of political instability and frequency of military coups faced...
, and former coup-installed Prime Minister, noted his criticism of the coup in an interview with the Far Eastern Economic Review
Far Eastern Economic Review
The Far Eastern Economic Review was an English language Asian news magazine started in 1946. It printed its final issue in December 2009. The Hong Kong-based business magazine was originally published weekly...
.
However, Anand later qualified his disapproval, by noting that "A coup d'état has a different meaning in the Thai context," and blaming the coup on Thaksin, "Over the past five years Thaksin and his party have become too powerful. They have consolidated their hold over the government machinery and certain sectors of the armed forces and parliament. So I think it's a more precarious situation."
Other prominent academics also voiced disapproval of the coup, including Pasuk Pongpaijitr, Chaiwat Satha-anand, and Giles Ungphakorn.
Leader of the Democrat Party
Democrat Party (Thailand)
The Democrat Party is Thailand's oldest political party and was the main coalition government party of the 23rd House of Representatives of Thailand. The Democrat Party's current leader is Abhisit Vejjajiva, incumbent opposition leader and former Prime Minister. The party upholds a conservative...
Abhisit Vejjajiva
Abhisit Vejjajiva
Abhisit Vejjajiva , , ; born Mark Abhisit Vejjajiva; 3 August 1964 in Newcastle upon Tyne) is a Thai politician who was the 27th Prime Minister of Thailand from 2008 to 2011 and is the current leader of the Democrat Party...
voiced displeasure at the coup hours just before all political activities were banned:
Other Democrat Party leaders, like Chuan Leekpai
Chuan Leekpai
Chuan Leekpai was the Prime Minister of Thailand from September 20, 1992 to May 19, 1995 and again from November 9, 1997 to February 9, 2001. A third-generation Thai Chinese, Chuan was born in Trang province in a grass-roofed house. The walls of his family's house were woven from strips of...
and Korn Chatikavanij
Korn Chatikavanij
Korn Chatikavanij is a Thai Democrat Party politician and former investment banker. He was Finance Minister under Abhisit Vejjajiva.-Early life:...
expressed displeasure over the coup, but blamed Thaksin.
Several student groups also stated disapproval at the coup. Signs were set up and demonstrations organized to protest it. However, no unified multi-university statement of disapproval was made.
Reports on the numbers, extent and nature of public demonstrations against the coup and the military government are often contingent on national media whose freedom of speech is limited by the censure imposed by the CDRM. Organised local opposition to the coup was muted by a junta ban against assemblies of more than 5 people. International protests against the coup were scattered, with anti-coup demonstrators protesting in front of the Thai Consulates in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
.
Democracy Monument, 20 September
Activist Chalard WorachatChalard Worachat
Chalard Worachat is a Thai activist. His 1992 hunger strike helped bring down the military government. His 1994 hunger strike forced the government of Chuan Leekpai to establish a committee to amend the constitution of Thailand. Following the 2006 Thailand coup d'état, he was arrested by military...
and former MP Thawee Kraikup held a protest against the junta at the Democracy Monument the day after the coup. Thawee held up a sign saying "Fasting
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
in Protest Against the Destroyer of Democracy." Military forces arrived soon afterwards and arrested Chalard at 12.30. Thawee refused to stop his protest and was arrested 3 hours later. Their fate is not known.
Siam Center, 22 September
Siam Center
Siam Center and Siam Discovery Center are twin shopping malls in Pathum Wan district, Bangkok, Thailand. Located at the BTS Skytrain's Siam Station, the malls are part of a large shopping district being opposite Siam Square, next to Siam Paragon and adjacent to MBK Center. Both are owned by Siam...
on the evening of Friday 22 September 2006. Nobody was arrested but police recorded the protest on video and noted that the tape would be examined to determine if protesters broke martial law. It is unknown whether the police or junta will arrest those it had recorded. Demonstrators wore black to mourn the death of democracy, and urged people who opposed the coup to also wear black. Protester Giles Ungphakorn noted, "We believe we speak for a significant number of Thais who are too worried or too afraid to speak." The protest was not reported on Thai television channels.The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
reported that when the first protester, a female student, began reading out a statement, armed police forced their way through the crowd and grabbed her. A police officer jabbed a gun into her stomach and told her: "You're coming with us." The protesters tried to hold the woman back, but her fate is unknown.
Thammasat University, 25 September
The second public protest against the coup occurred on Monday 25 September 2006 and attracted between 50-60 protesters and 200 spectators. It was held at 5pm at Thammasat UniversityThammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
. The protest included a political discussion on "Why we must resist the coup", and was organized by the "Dome Daeng (Red Dome)" group of Thammasat University
Thammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
, the "Chula
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
Students for Liberty" group, and students from Mahidol
Mahidol University
Mahidol University is a public research university in Bangkok, Thailand. Established back in 1888 as School of Medical Practitioners, Siriraj Hospital and reorganized in 1943 as University of Medical Sciences . The university originally focused on Health Sciences but also expanded to other...
, Ramkhamhaeng and Kasetsart
Kasetsart University
Kasetsart University is a public university in Thailand and a top-ranked Public University in Thailand. It is ranked No.401-500 in the world by QS. It was also the first agricultural university and the third oldest university in Thailand...
universities and King Mongkut's Institute of Technology
King Mongkut's Institute of Technology North Bangkok
King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok is a leading technology university in Thailand. Its three campuses are in the North of Bangkok, Rayong province and Prachinburi province.- History :...
. "The choice in our world is not just between Thaksin or tanks," said Arunwana Sanitkawathee, a protesting Thammasat
Thammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
journalism student. The one-hour rally featured a banner mocking the "Council of Demented and Ridiculous Military". There were no uniformed police, but several intelligence officers were present and recorded the event on video.
Subsequent protests
Protests were also held at Chulalongkorn UniversityChulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
on 27 September 2006. A protest was also held in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
on 28 September 2006. On 2 October 2006, several dozen students and labor representatives demonstrated in front of Army Headquarters and burned the junta's Interim Constitution
2006 Interim Constitution of Thailand
The 2006 Interim Charter of Thailand was drafted by the Council for Democratic Reform after it seized power from the government of Thaksin Shinawatra in the 2006 Thailand coup...
. On 6 October, the protest continues at Thammasat University
Thammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
and On 14 October, hundreds of protesters went to gather around the Democracy momument.
Democracy Monument, 10 December 2006
2,000 people dressed in black protested the coup on Constitution Day, 10 December 2006, at Sanam LuangSanam Luang
Sanam Luang is an open field and public square in front of Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand. Sanam Luang is located in the Phra Nakhon district, the historic center of Bangkok....
and in front of the Democracy Monument. The group demanded the immediate revival of the 1997 constitution and a new election. Protestors included Weng Tojirakarn, Sant Hathirat and former senator Prateep Ungsongtham-Hata. Roadblocks were set up across the country to prevent protestors from heading to Bangkok. A group of 41 would-be protestors were stopped by police - their names were taken down and they were "encouraged" to head back home. A smaller group protested the coup and junta at Thammasat University
Thammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
.
Violent protests
At 6 am, Saturday 30 September 2006, a taxi driver who had spray painted "[CDR is] destroying the country," and "Sacrificing life" onto his vehicle intentionally rammed it into a tank at the Royal Plaza. The driver, Nuamthong Praiwan, was severely injured and taken to a police station nearby. He later told reporters from a hospital bed that he wanted to protest the junta for damaging the country. His hooded body was later found hung from a pedestrian flyover. Officials ruled his death a suicide.Petitions
An active on-line petition organized by Thongchai Winichakul, of the University of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, was also set up at the PetitionOnline website to urge the junta not to arrest or harm protesters. Several influential figures have signed the petition so far, including Kasian Tejapira of Thammasat University
Thammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
, Viroj Na Ranong of the TDRI
Thailand Development Research Institute
The Thailand Development Research Institute is a non-profit non-government Thai policy think tank focused social and economic development issues...
, and Duncan McCargo of the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
.
Media
In an editorial, Bangkok's English-language broadsheet, The NationThe Nation (Thailand)
The Nation is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper founded in 1971 and published in Bangkok, Thailand, and is owned by the Nation Multimedia Group.The Nation is a member of the Asia News Network...
, gave qualified support to the coup. It noted that "the likes of Thaksin should be rejected at the ballot box or through public pressure in the form of peaceful protests." However, under the circumstances in Thailand, it said the coup "may be a necessary evil."
Thanaphol Eiwsakul, editor of Fah Diew Kan magazine (which had been censored by the Thaksin government), urged the public to resist the coup by exercising their right to protest coups as guaranteed by Article 65 of the 1997 Constitution. He vowed to stage a protest on Thursday, 21 September 2006.
The Campaign for Popular Media Reform criticized the military for media censorship stationing soldiers outside media outlets. "Our standpoint is, we still believe that the military have no right, they should not give any order to shut down any media, even those [community] radio stations."
In a statement issued on 25 September the Thai Journalists Association and the Broadcast Journalists Association did not condemn the coup, nor did it protest the junta's orders restricting freedom of the press. However, it urged the junta to transfer power back to the people as soon as possible and give the promised interim government a free hand to run the country. It also urged the junta to ensure that the promised constitution gave similar rights to the abrogated 1997 People's Constitution and also to allow the public to participate in its drafting, as the 1997 Constitution was.
Human rights groups
Saneh Chamarik, chairman of the state National Human Rights CommissionNational Human Rights Commission (Thailand)
The Thai National Human Rights Commission was established on July 13, 2001 as a national human rights institution. From its inception to May 31, 2005, it received a total of 2,148 complaints of which 1,309 had already been investigated, 559 were still in the process of investigation, and 209 were...
, stated in an interview:
His remark was criticized by Suwit Lertkraimethi, an organizer of the 19 September Network against Coup d'Etat
19 September Network against Coup d'Etat
The 19 September Network against Coup d'État is a Thai activist group organized to protest the 2006 Thailand coup d'état.According to Sombat Ngamboon-anong, who registered the 19sep.org, The Network's website, was shut down by the hosting service on orders of the Thai Information and...
, who noted, "His role is to protect human rights, but his statement showed his approval of human-rights violations." Suwit demanded Saneh's resignation from the NHRC.
The Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission
Asian Human Rights Commission
The Asian Human Rights Commission is an independent, non-governmental body, which seeks to promote greater awareness and realisation of human rights in the Asian region, and to mobilise Asian and international public opinion to obtain relief and redress for the victims of human rights violations...
was critical of the coup. "The Asian Human Rights Commission is gravely disturbed by this takeover of power. It has no place in Thailand at a time that parliamentary democracy, despite difficulties, was maturing and taking root." The Commission called on the military to appoint a caretaker civilian government swiftly and on the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
to condemn the coup. Later, the Commission called for the junta to release the 4 Cabinet members who the junta had arrested and detained without charges beyond the 7-day period allowed by Thai martial law provisions. In October the group set up a webpage contrasting commitments given by the coup group with what it had actually done.
New York-based Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
was also critical of the coup. "Thaksin's rule had seriously eroded respect for human rights in Thailand, but suspending basic rights under the constitution is not the answer," said Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch. "Thailand needs to solve its problems through the rule of law and the people exercising their right to choose their own leaders."
The Thailand Union for Civil Liberty was also critical of the coup. In a formal statement, it noted that the coup was destructive to the democratic system and would result in serious human rights infractions. The Association demanded that the junta respect human rights, involve public participation to draft a constitution that protected human rights at least as well as the abrogated 1997 Constitution, and hold speedy elections.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
demanded that the junta must uphold human rights. "No one should be penalised for their peaceful exercise of the rights of freedom of expression, association or assembly," the London-based group said in a statement. Amnesty also called for the junta to "comply with Thailand's obligations under international human rights law."
On Monday 25 September, 20 academics and human right activists submitted a petition to the junta to request that they cancel restrictions that violate basic human rights. They also called for all sectors of the public to take part in the drafting of a new constitution.
Southern border provinces
Thailand's southern Muslims, who widely despised ousted Premier Thaksin Shinawatra, said they hoped Muslim Army Commander and junta head General Sonthi BoonyaratglinSonthi Boonyaratglin
General Sonthi Boonyaratglin is former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for National Security, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. He is the first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army...
would hold peace talks with separatist insurgents. Before the coup, Sonthi had suggested negotiations with insurgents, to much government criticism. However, up until 16 September, the Army admitted it didn't know who to negotiate with.
After a brief lull, violence resumed 2 days after the coup, when two villagers were shot in Yala. On 23 September, 4 policemen were injured in a bus stop bombing on a road to be travelled by Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn later that afternoon. Then on 25 September, 2 police stations and a military outpost were attacked by 30 gunmen in a coordinated series of attacks.
Karen refugees Myanmar/Thailand border
The secretary-general of the insurgent Karen Nation Union Mahn Sha told The Irrawaddy that he believed Surayud will honor his word to return power to the people, and steer the country in the right direction. Many Burmese refugees will have fond memory of Surayud who, as army chief under Chuan Leekpai's Democrat government in 1998, endorsed a policy of not pushing back refugees who fled from war and persecution in Burma. "He understands the nature of democratic groups," Mahn Sha said. The Karen leader thought that "[Surayud] was highly regarded among other Burmese pro-democracy groups because of his integrity and professionalism in the army";"He is a good soldier who sympathizes with refugees from Burma," said Mahn Sha adding hoping that Surayud would not have a "one sided view" towards Burmese politics not based on business considerations.Diplomatic reactions
The reactions to the coup outside of Thailand have generally been negative. Many organizations and countries expressed their concern about the situation and hope for a peaceful resolution. Some countries advised recent travelers to Thailand to be alert due to safety concerns. International government statements concerning the coup ranged from harsh denunciations to non-interference.The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
said "There's no justification for a military coup in Thailand or in anyplace else, and we certainly are extremely disappointed by this action." It later noted that it would like to see elections held earlier than the one-year timetable set by the coup leaders. The United States later cut off $24 million in military aid although funding for humanitarian purposes would continue.
United Nations Secretary-General
United Nations Secretary-General
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat of the United Nations, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The Secretary-General also acts as the de facto spokesperson and leader of the United Nations....
Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
noted that "I don't have the details but this is not a practice to be encouraged." He also said, "As the African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
, for example, has indicated, they do not support those who come to power through the barrel of a gun." The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights later noted that the coup contravened human rights conventions and urged the junta to "to ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and reinstate the country's human rights commission."
International media responses
Several international publications condemned the coup. The EconomistThe Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
noted that the coup would not solve any problems, that its purpose was to prevent an election victory by the Thai Rak Thai party, and that it undid a decade's worth of democratic progress. It also noted how the general lack of international condemnation for the coup might embold military leaders or reinforce authoritative tendencies in neighbouring countries. The New York Times also criticized the coup, noting that Thailand, a former exemplary leader of democracy, was now sidestepping constitutional processes to achieve political ends.
Stock Exchange
Thai stocks fell to two-month lows before recovering in the first day of trading since a military coup ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Shares of Shin Corp.Shin Corporation
Shin Corporation is one of the largest conglomerates in Thailand.- History :It was founded in 1983 as Shinawatra Computer by Thaksin Shinawatra, former Prime Minister of Thailand, and took on its current name in 1999, by using the first four letters of his last name...
, linked to Thaksin, and its units declined. The SET
Stock Exchange of Thailand
The Stock Exchange of Thailand is the national stock exchange of Thailand. It is located in Bangkok. As of 31 December 2007, the Stock Exchange of Thailand had 541 listed companies with a combined market capitalization of $280 billion. The indices of the stock exchange are SET Index, SET50 Index...
Index dropped 9.99, or 1.4 percent, to 692.57 at the 4:30 p.m. close in Bangkok. About six stocks fell for every one that rose at the exchange, with 43 billion baht ($1.1 billion) changing hands. That was the most since 51 billion baht in shares traded on April 5, the day after Thaksin said he would step down to end a political crisis. The SET
Stock Exchange of Thailand
The Stock Exchange of Thailand is the national stock exchange of Thailand. It is located in Bangkok. As of 31 December 2007, the Stock Exchange of Thailand had 541 listed companies with a combined market capitalization of $280 billion. The indices of the stock exchange are SET Index, SET50 Index...
rose 3.1 percent that day.
The SET
Stock Exchange of Thailand
The Stock Exchange of Thailand is the national stock exchange of Thailand. It is located in Bangkok. As of 31 December 2007, the Stock Exchange of Thailand had 541 listed companies with a combined market capitalization of $280 billion. The indices of the stock exchange are SET Index, SET50 Index...
Index fell 29.64 points, or 4.2% to 702.63 in the first minutes of trading Thursday to its lowest intraday level since July 21. But quickly bounced back, suggesting the coup would do no greater damage. Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
said "This time investors should be encouraged by the fact that the uncertainty surrounding Thaksin's tenure has been removed." and kept its "overweight" rating on Thai stocks. Foreign Institutions with JPM
JPM
JPM may refer to:* JPMorgan Chase, whose NYSE ticker symbol is JPM* Joannes Paulus Magnus , an epithet sometimes applied to Pope John Paul II * Juan Pablo Montoya* James Paul McCartney* JPM, a Taiwanese Mandopop band...
leading is net buy 7,393 million baht ($200 million) in this day. After the previous coup, in February 1991, the SET
Stock Exchange of Thailand
The Stock Exchange of Thailand is the national stock exchange of Thailand. It is located in Bangkok. As of 31 December 2007, the Stock Exchange of Thailand had 541 listed companies with a combined market capitalization of $280 billion. The indices of the stock exchange are SET Index, SET50 Index...
tumbled 7.3% on the first day of trading before rallying 24% in the next two months.
Currency
The Thai bahtThai baht
The baht is the currency of Thailand. It is subdivided into 100 satang . The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand.-History:The baht, like the pound, originated from a traditional unit of mass...
experienced the biggest loss in almost three years after the military seized control of Bangkok and Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra declared a state of emergency. The baht fell 1.3 percent to 37.77 per dollar at 5:06 p.m. in New York, from 37.29 late on Sept. 18, the biggest decline since Oct. 14, 2003. The baht trimmed losses after falling by as much as 1.8 percent on speculation King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
will resolve the crisis.
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
Holdings Plc in Hong Kong. "The coup is as calm as you could possibly expect."
Trade
The coup's impact on negotiations for a US-Thailand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States are not immediately clear, but Washington still hopes to secure a pact when democracy is restored, a top US trade official said yesterday. US Trade Representative Susan SchwabSusan Schwab
Susan C. Schwab is an American politician, who served as United States Trade Representative from June, 2006 to January, 2009....
said "Formal negotiations were suspended pending the elections that had been anticipated later this year and we had assumed that the formal negotiations would resume in December".
Credit ratings
Thailand's bond ratings are currently unchanged, but credit rating agencies have announced that they may downgrade them depending on future developments.See also
- Censorship in ThailandCensorship in ThailandFreedom of speech in Thailand was guaranteed in the articles 39, 40, 41 in the 1997 Constitution.According to those articles, censorship may be imposed to preserve national security, maintain public order, preserve the rights of others, protect public morals, and prevent criticism of the royal...
- Constitution of ThailandConstitution of ThailandThe Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand is the supreme law of Thailand. Since the change from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional democracy in 1932, Thailand has had 17 charters and constitutions, reflecting the high degree of political instability and frequency of military coups faced...
- History of Thailand since 1973History of Thailand since 1973The history of Thailand since 1973 saw an unstable period of democracy, with military rule being reimposed after a bloody coup in 1976....
- Media in Thailand
- Politics of ThailandPolitics of ThailandThe politics of Thailand are currently conducted within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government and a hereditary monarch is head of state. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislative branches.Thai kingdoms and late...
- Royal Thai Army
External links
- The Official Website of the Council for Democratic Reform. Most of the content is in Thai; there is a limited English language section. The site contains all of the juntas announcements and decrees. A Collection of Photos from the Royal Thai Navy's webboard A coup for the rich, a book on the coup by left-wing author Giles Ji Ungpakorn