Martial Law Declared By Army In Thailand

Martial Law Declared By Army In Thailand

The Thai army imposed martial law following a political stalemate that lasted for six months. The action of the army may result to an election and reforms in the Thai government.

After the Thai army invoked the decree, Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan was adamant that the country was still being run by his government. The caretaker prime minister said reforms will be implemented prior to new elections, which are set to be held in August.

The army said martial law was imposed to re-establish peace and order and prevent civil war. Even as tanks and armed soldiers started to roll into Bangkok on Tuesday morning, the city appeared to be peaceful. Some partisan television stations were ordered closed by the army and media reports that may threaten national security were banned.

The current action of the army was likened to the 2006 military coup that deposed Thaksin Shinawatra. However, Prayuth Chan-ocha, army chief general, said that the action was not a coup and the public should not panic. Even as Protestors have taken to the streets since November in an attempt to depose the current Thai government, they were not interested in a new set of elections.

Twenty-eight people were killed due to violent confrontations between the two opposing sides in the past six months. The situation worsened after nine ministers were dismissed by the former Prime Minister Yingluck, the sister of Thaksin.

Yingluck was replaced by Niwatthamrong, which is in a delicate position after protestors prevented him from meeting with the election commission. He also refused calls of stepping down. The imposition of martial law resulted to speculations on the intentions of the army. In order to deal with these speculations, the army should identify the treats and facilitate negotiations between the two sides.

The EU and US along with human rights organizations expressed apprehensions on the current situation and the influence of the Thai military on the politics within the country. The imposition of martial law resulted to a rapid decline in the Thai stock market as the US embassy indicated that the decree should be temporary to avoid violence.

Posted by James Fried on Thursday May 22 2014, 4:26 AM EST. Ref: The Guardian. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0