Thailand: army and parties hold crisis talks

Further talks will be held on Thursday amid fears that Thailand could be pushed into civil war following the ousting last week of Yingluck Shinawatra, who was accused of corruption and nepotism.

Puchong Nutrawong, secretary-general of Thailand’s election commission, said: “The army chief (General Prayuth Chan-ocha) asked us to go back home and think about the things we discussed in order to find a solution for the country.”

The military has denied staging a coup, but is setting the agenda in Thailand by forcing rival political groups to join negotiations on the country’s future.

Anti-government protesters say they will stage demonstrations if elections are held before changes are made that reduce the influence of the Shinawatra family.

Twenty-eight people have been killed and 700 injured in the latest chapter of a decade-long power struggle between former prime minister and business tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra, Yingluck’s brother, and the urban elite, who are behind the protests.

The turmoil has brought the country to the brink of recession and raised fears of civil war.

Martial law

General Prayuth said he had imposed martial law to restore order, and the caretaker government says it is still running the country.

Both pro and anti-government protesters remain out in force, but the army has confined them to separate sites in and around Bangkok and there are no reports of trouble.

Anti-government protesters want a neutral prime minister installed to oversee electoral reforms. The caretaker government wants a general election that it would probably win, given Thaksin Shinawatra’s enduring support among the poor.

In another development, anti-government protest leader Dr Seri Wongmontha was arrested at Bangkok Airport on Wednesday on sedition charges.

In January, Channel 4 News Asia Correspondent John Sparks interviewed Dr Seri, a television celebrity, as he led protests against the then Prime Minister Shinawatra.

It was an unconventional interview that was conducted on a stage in front of thousands of protesters (see video above).

The military has mounted 18 successful or attempted coups since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.

General Prayuth is thought to be loath to see a repeat of a September 2006 coup he helped execute, which plunged the country into years of turmoil and failed to end Thaksin Shinawatra’s influence.