Coup in Thailand

[Snowguy716]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5366908.stm

You're not hearing much about this in American media, so I present you something from the BBC.

The military, after saying yesterday that they would be calling for elections within a few weeks, has not proposed a year long transitional period while they can draw up a new constitution and has banned the formation of new political parties and all party activities.

I smell military dictatorship, and it smells rotten.

If this is the case, do you think the United States should pursue action with the U.N and other regional governments to restore democracy?

[john_denver]

I am no expert on Thai politics and history but my feeling this Coup will not be a huge issue. Thailand has a pretty decent history of democracy...compared to many other countries in the region.

It seems many people did not like President Thaksin. In fact, nobody really resisted.

I did find it interesting that the Thai general who led the Coup is Muslim, in a majority Buddhist country.

The President that was kicked did not have a great human rights record...among other things.

Being a corporate man and having billions...some say Thaksin ran the country like a CEO runs a company.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5366908.stm

You're not hearing much about this in American media, so I present you something from the BBC.

The military, after saying yesterday that they would be calling for elections within a few weeks, has not proposed a year long transitional period while they can draw up a new constitution and has banned the formation of new political parties and all party activities.

I smell military dictatorship, and it smells rotten.

If this is the case, do you think the United States should pursue action with the U.N and other regional governments to restore democracy?

[Charlotteman]

I find this most troubling. Thailand has traditionally been a voice of reason in a volitile part of the world.

We must never accept a dictatorship anywhere in the world. Let's hope for the best here, and if dictatorship seems immintent, the UN should respond in kind.

There are but a handful of dictatorships left in the world today. We must never let that number increase.

[runawayjim]

I find this most troubling. Thailand has traditionally been a voice of reason in a volitile part of the world.

We must never accept a dictatorship anywhere in the world. Let's hope for the best here, and if dictatorship seems immintent, the UN should respond in kind.

There are but a handful of dictatorships left in the world today. We must never let that number increase.

doesn't thailand have a mandatory death penalty for drug possession? that's a voice of reason?

for the record... i have seen this everyday this week on the front page of CNN.com, most times it was the main story.

[Charlotteman]

Friends who have vacationed in Bangkok said people crouched in doorways all over the place, smoking opium~~

[Charlotte_native]

I have a friend in Bangkok now, he was there when the coup took place. He said it was quiet and nothing changed other than seeing tanks in the streets (scary enough) but that life on the streets is exactly like it was before.

[Charlotteman]

Seeing tanks coming down the street in your neighborhood must be a horrifying sight.

[waccamatt]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5366908.stm

You're not hearing much about this in American media, so I present you something from the BBC.

The military, after saying yesterday that they would be calling for elections within a few weeks, has not proposed a year long transitional period while they can draw up a new constitution and has banned the formation of new political parties and all party activities.

I smell military dictatorship, and it smells rotten.

If this is the case, do you think the United States should pursue action with the U.N and other regional governments to restore democracy?

I correspond a bit with a poster on another forum site that lives in Thailand and he says most of the people there are delighted about the coup - that the ousted President was very corrupt - and that they are confident the change will be good. I understand the concerns about a military dictatorship, but he seemed pretty confident that a dictatorship would not happen.