The Thai Army Repeats HistoryOn Tuesday, the Thai military imposed martial law on the country and insisted it was not staging a coup. On Thursday, the army dispensed with these niceties and took power, overthrowing a government that has been besieged by street protests since late last year.
The head of the army, Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, said he had to take power “in order to bring the situation back to normal quickly.†There is no question that Thailand has been unsettled for months – violence involving pro- and anti-government protestors has killed at least 25 people in the last six months. But anyone who has followed Thai history should know that military rule is not the answer to the country’s problems.
In 2010, it used force to disperse protestors from the “red shirt†movement that supports Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister who lives outside the country, from the streets of Bangkok, killing about 90 people. In 1992, a military government cracked down on Thais calling for a restoration of democracy, killing about 50 people in what came to be known as “Black May.†Many more disappeared and were never accounted for.
New York Times
