Posted on 09/19/2006 6:11:40 PM PDT by jdm
Thailand's coup leaders have declared today a national holiday and ordered top civil servants to a meeting at military headquarters to announce their "new policy".
The military declared martial law and suspended the constitution shortly after declaring that they had staged a coup against controversial Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The coup leaders have declared "a holiday for government, banks and the stock exchange in order to quickly restore law and order," according to a statement read on national television.
They told top civil servants, leaders of state enterprises, and university presidents around Bangkok to meet at military headquarters at 9:00 am (12:00pm AEST) "to learn about the new policy," the statement said.
Provincial governors and other top local officials were also ordered to report to regional military commands or face prosecution.
"All civil officials must comply with instructions from regional army commanders," the statement said.
"Governors, senior officials and university presidents must report to regional military commanders at 9:00 am or risk serious punishment," it said. Thaksin's return
Mr Thaksin has still to decide whether to return to Thailand from New York, his spokesman said Wednesday.
"Prime Minister Thaksin is now in New York and he has not yet made up his mind where he will go. But he will have to make a decision soon," government spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee told AFP from New York.
Mr Thaksin cancelled plans to give a speech to the UN General Assembly late on Tuesday and was holed up at an up-market New York hotel for much of the day as the coup went ahead in Bangkok.
The billionaire politician still has an official plane at his disposal.
He has a private residence in London, where one of his daughters is studying.
Mr Thaksin's wife Potjaman reportedly left Bangkok for Singapore late Tuesday as the coup was announced.
announce their "new policy".
We, are in charge. euff said.
Change the name "Thaksin" to Gore and the city of "Bangkok" to the state of Florida, and we have the guts of the Demonrat angst...because probably 50% of 'em still think Bush burgled his way into office.
I love it....I love it all the more, because I no longer have any Demonrat friends, having written them off long ago due to their blatant stupidity.
Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin, who is known to be close to Thailand's king and is a Muslim in this Buddhist-dominated nation, will be acting prime minister, an army spokesman, Col. Akara Chitroj, told the Associated Press.
Things that make you go hmmm.....
For now on, ALL underwear is to be worn inside out. Everybody will wear their underwear on the outside... so we can check.
from "Bananas"
Guess they won't be deporting muzzies. :-(
Soon, the Dhims will be saying Bush gummed up the works by not doing enough to hold back the tide of heady murder.
I heard a live radio report today that basically said this hasn't even paused the tourist trade (particularly the sex/pedophile trade).
In addition to being the land of smiles, Thailand was, prior to democracy in the 1980's (due to pressure from the US), also the land of coups. Thai coups have traditionally been relatively bloodless, but it is noxious to see that the rich, well-organized minority that have agitated against Thaksin have now rolled out the tanks in order to defend their financial interests, at the expense of the popular electoral majority that have returned Thaksin to power again and again. It is also disappointing to see the king in the position of defending a bunch of unelected plutocrats against the popular will. He may yet live to regret his choice. In the past, coups pitted one general against another, and there wasn't really a dime's worth of difference between one general and another. In an era of popular elections, coups now pit generals against majorities or pluralities of the electorate. That's not a good position to be in.
No, no. That's not what we baby raping, elephant riding, uncivilized savages do. We just strip them to their underwear and shoot them in the back multiple times.
Dude, the King had no role in this. The King simply does not get involved in politics and he has been instrumental in ending a coup in 1992.
You may wish to review the recent history of Thai politics.
Likely you are off on a wild tangent with the pol pot analogy regarding this coup.
FOS...only thing some of you can think of or talk about is the continuing disparagement of Thailand on this once upon a time situation that exists much more often in other places of the world...how many sex related events do you have in the homeland USA?
I assure you the King is not. In any case, even if the coup plotters fail, Thaksin will not last for long. He already promised to resign and if he didn't, I'm sure the people or the military will make him.
I absolutely disagree. I predict this transfer of power will be smoother than the 2000 election.
The king is a popularly revered figure that the new regime will trot out to appease the masses.
He won't have any actual authority, of course.
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