Thailand's army declared martial law on Tuesday, capping months of anti-government street protests that started in November. The army has denied that they are trying to stage a coup d'etat.
The pronouncement comes a day after Thailand's interim prime minister refused to step down. The AP reports that armed troops took over multiple private television stations in Bangkok to get the message out, and surrounded the national police headquarters.
Nevertheless, an army official maintained that this is not a military ouster. "[T]his is definitely not a coup. This is only to provide safety to the people and the people can still carry on their lives as normal," the official told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Eleven successful coups have been staged by Thailand’s army since 1932. It last happened in 2006, when former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted by a military coup. This latest period of unrest began in November and targeted then-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin’s sister.
Guest:
Tan Srippat, Editor, Siam Media Newspaper, the oldest Thai newspaper in the U.S. established in 1981