BANGKOK-
Thailand’s army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha took control of the government in a coup on Thursday saying the army had to restore order and push through reforms, two days after he declared martial law.
Prayuth made the announcement in a television broadcast after he held a meeting with all rival factions aimed at finding a solution to six months of anti-government protests.
“In order for the situation to return to normal quickly and for society to love and be at peace again … and to reform the structure of the political, economic and social structure, the military needs to take control of power,” Prayuth said in the televised announcement.
The broadcast came shortly after soldiers took the leader of anti-government protests, Suthep Thaugsuban, out of the meeting that was aimed at finding a solution to a drawn-out power struggle that has polarized the country and battered its economy.
The crisis is the latest installment in a long battle between supporters of ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and opponents backed by the royalist establishment.
The army had declared martial law on Tuesday, saying the measure was necessary to prevent violence, but it rejected accusations the measure amounted to a coup.
CALL FOR COMPROMISE
Prayuth had called on the two sides in a first round of talks on Wednesday to agree on a compromise that would have hinged around the appointment of an interim prime minister, political reforms and the timing of an election.
Wednesday’s talks ended inconclusively with neither side backing down from their entrenched positions, participants said.
The army had let rival protesters remain on the streets but it banned them from marching to prevent clashes. It has also clamped down on the media, including partisan television channels, and warned people not to spread inflammatory material on social media.
After the coup announcement, a senior army official said troops would escort protests away from their rally sites.
Leaders of the ruling Puea Thai Party and the opposition Democrat Party, the Senate leader and the five-member Election Commission had joined the second round of talks at an army base in Bangkok.
Acting Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongphaisan told reporters before the talks that his government could not resign as its enemies were demanding as that would contravene the constitution.
“The government wants the problem solved in a democratic way which includes a government that comes from elections,” he said.
Government officials were not available for comment after the coup announcement.