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Thursday's announcement,
in a televised address by the Asian nation's military chief, followed a
last-ditch meeting purportedly aimed at resolving the crisis.
Leaders of the governing
Pheu Thai Party, the opposition Democrat Party, the anti-government
protesters, pro-government "Red Shirts" as well as the military were
among those in attendance.
But only one faction walked out free.
Troops escorted the
political party leaders from the meeting; a lawyer for the "Red Shirts"
later confirmed they'd been detained.
That left Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, the head of the Asian nation's military, in charge.
The military released a statement saying Prayuth now has the powers to act as Prime Minister until a new one takes office.
How exactly the
government will operate is in question, given that the military also has
thrown out the 2007 constitution, except for Section 2, which
acknowledges that the king is the head of state.
The last six months have
been marked by protests, both by those backing the government and those
against. There has been deadly violence in the streets.
Schools will be closed
nationwide between Friday and Sunday, the de facto military government
ordered. A curfew is in place for between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. (11 a.m. to
6 p.m. ET) And all state-run, satellite and cable TV providers have
been ordered to carry only the signal of the army's television channel;
CNN is among those networks that have been taken off the air.
In a speech hours after
the meeting with political party leaders, Prayuth explained that these
actions were necessary to restore order and push through needed reforms.
He said there will be
security provided for foreigners, including vacationers and diplomats.
As to Thai citizens, Prayuth urged them to go about their business as
usual -- including civil servants and officials, who should report to
work.
And in many ways, this is normal for Thailand.
Thursday's sudden transfer of power is the 12th time the military has taken over since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.
It's the second coup for Pete Kraisittipong, a lifelong Bangkok resident and CNN iReporter.
While there are noticeable differences -- like closed convenience
stores -- he said most people don't seem too taken aback but the sudden,
if hardly unprecedented, political shift.
"People associate this
as the silent coup. They just go home and don't go out after 10," he
said. "... People just live their normal lives."
Amnesty bill furor spirals into more unrest
In a way, if not years in the making, the latest coup has been in the making since November.
That's when then-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra
tried to push through an amnesty bill to allow the return of her
brother Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister who lives in exile. A
military coup deposed Thaksin in 2006.
Groups opposed to the government seized on the amnesty bill furor and began large-scale protests in central areas of Bangkok.
Trying to defuse
tensions, Yingluck called early elections. But the Democrat Party
boycotted the February race, and Yingluck's foes blocked voting in
enough districts to prevent a valid outcome.
Yingluck, who first took
office in 2011, stayed on after the disrupted election as a caretaker
Prime Minister. But the Constitutional Court forced her from office two
weeks ago, finding her guilty -- despite her professions of innocence --
of violating the constitution over the appointments of top security
officials.
She is now wanted, along
with three of her relatives, having been summoned to report to military
authorities late Friday morning, an army spokesman said.
The situation hasn't
calmed much since Yingluck's departure from office. Demonstrators on all
sides of the fight remained active in the streets. And attempts to
resolve differences through negotiations -- such as Thursday's meeting,
the second in two days -- seemingly went nowhere.
On Tuesday, the military
stepped up its involvement by declaring martial law. At the time --
even as an aide to interim Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan
insisted it had taken "this action unilaterally" -- the military
insisted this wasn't a coup.
Not anymore.
U.S. suspends 'military engagement and assistance'
The developments have
caught the attention of world leaders, including U.N. Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon, who appealed "for a prompt return to constitutional,
civilian, democratic rule and an all-inclusive dialogue," according to
his spokesman.
U.S. Secretary of State
John Kerry expressed disappointment and concern about the detention of
political leaders, the shutting down of media outlets and the suspension
of the Thai constitution.
"There is no
justification for this military coup," Kerry said in a statement. "... I
urge the restoration of civilian government immediately, a return to
democracy and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms."
American officials have
tried but -- as of Thursday afternoon -- failed to contact Thai military
officials to urge them "to immediately restore democracy and civilian
rule," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
The State Department and
USAID send approximately $10 million annually to Thailand, according to
Psaki. In light of everything, there is "a comprehensive review" of all
such ties between the two countries, including militarily.
"We've taken preliminary
steps to suspend military engagement and assistance, while we consider
the facts on the ground," said the U.S. spokeswoman.
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/22/world/asia/thailand-martial-law/
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