Thailand's new military rulers Sunday rolled their tanks out of
Bangkok's royal and government center less than five days after a
bloodless coup was greeted calmly in the capital.
A group of 10 tanks posted at the symbolic center of power in
the Royal Plaza since last week's coup were withdrawn as the junta
continued to consolidate control following the ouster of ex-premier
Thaksin Shinawatra.
The generals at the weekend drew up a shortlist that shrank to
three candidates to replace Thaksin and prepared to step up a
corruption probe against the divisive premier, who remained in
London.
Coup leaders sent tanks and troops into Bangkok on Tuesday to
take power, ending months of bitter political division.
"The situation is under control but we still maintain tanks in
some locations in Bangkok," said junta spokesman Colonel Acar
Tiproj, while troops remained at key traffic junctions in the
capital.
The regime appeared more worried about rumblings of dissent in
the countryside, especially in the rural north the heartland of
Thaksin's support where it has already closed 300 community radio
stations.
Sunday, in its 22nd official missive since taking power,
Thailand's top military brass banned all political activity at the
village, district and provincial level, threatening "harshest
penalties."
"There have already been movements at the provincial level and
below, both supporting and opposing the military rulers," they said
in a statement. "Such movements could cause problems and create
divisions in society.
"The military leaders ask those groups to cease their political
activities until the situation returns to normal."
Nine graft-fighters will start today investigating corruption
claims against Thaksin and his government after the new regime
appointed them last week to the National Counter-Corruption
Commission.
Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka said she would tackle 10 cases
of alleged government corruption during Thaksin's premiership after
Thaksin's downfall was triggered by protests over his family's
US$1.9 billion tax-free sale of the telecom empire he founded.
"One reason they gave to justify the coup was corruption," said
political scientist Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Bangkok's
Chulalongkorn University. "Now they have to prove it. They also
want to make sure Thaksin doesn't come back."
The new leaders said they were also finalizing a temporary draft
charter to replace the 1997 constitution that was scrapped with the
takeover.
(China Daily September 25, 2006)
