Bangkok, Thailand – The new military rulers banned political gatherings and activities at the local level Sunday, further cementing their powers and preempting any opposition following last week’s bloodless coup.
The ruling military council, under pressure from critics at home and abroad, also said an interim civilian government may be announced in the next week.
The military had said it would hand over power to civilians within two weeks of Tuesday’s coup that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and that a new election would be held by October of next year.
Western governments and human rights groups have decried the takeover, particularly after the military leaders began restricting freedom of assembly and speech. The military is ruling under martial law, and public gatherings of more than five people are banned.
It also has called on the media to exercise self-censorship.
The latest order – announced Sunday night on television stations – calls for all organizations at the district and provincial levels “to stop their activities and political gathering until the situation returns to normal.”
Maj. Gen. Tanongsak Apirakyothin, the deputy army chief for Thailand’s northern provinces, told The Associated Press there had been some meetings of local politicians in Chiang Mai, Thaksin’s hometown and stronghold, and they “criticized the coup as wrong.” Military officials asked them to stop their activities, he said.
Although the coup met with no resistance and was generally welcomed by the Thai people, there had been rumors of a possible countercoup in the first few days. No signs of any emerged.
Despite the ban, students from Bangkok’s Thammasat University announced that they would hold a public seminar today to discuss the coup. They described the meeting as an act of civil disobedience because it breeches the rule on gatherings.
