Thai Coup: Army Chief Endorsed by King

Thailand’s military leader, Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha , has been appointed by the king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, as the head of the National Council of Peace and Order to run the nation at the army headquarters. The army chief received the royal endorsement on Monday morning at a ceremony in the capital, Bangkok, after taking power in a coup last week.

The military seized power in the South East Asian nation on Thursday, last week, saying it planned to return stability to Thailand after months of protests.  The protestors had tried to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Around 28 people were killed and several hundreds injured in the protests. The coup successful in toppling an elected government has drawn widespread international criticism.

Small anti-coup protests took place in Bangkok over the weekend, despite a military ban on the gathering of more than five people. The 86-year-old monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, did not attend the ceremony.

Since taking power the military has summoned and detained several key political figures, including former Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra on Friday. Journalists and academics are also among those who have been called in. The heads of eighteen newspapers and private and public sector economic administrators were also called to meetings with the military. Strict controls have also been placed on the media.

interactive editor