Thailand’s Army Chief today announced a military coup to take control of the government. Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha said, the coup was necessary to restore stability and order after six months of political deadlock and turmoil.
The pivotal development came after General Prayuth declared martial law on Tuesday in what he called a bid to resolve the crisis and a day later summoned the country’s rival political leaders for face-to-face talks. Two days of talks failed to break the impasse.
Shortly before the announcement was made, armed soldiers in military vehicles surrounded the military facility where the politicians were meeting, apparently to block those inside from leaving. Military ordered all television and radio stations to suspend their usual programmes and show only the army's broadcasts in the wake of a coup. An army spokesman said in a televised announcement, the move was to ensure the release of accurate news to the people.
The coup announced today was the 12th since the country’s absolute monarchy ended in 1932. The military was widely viewed as sympathetic to the protesters seeking to oust the current government.