General claims king’s backing
Bangkok – Thailand’s coup leader said yesterday that the country’s king had officially endorsed him to run the country after the armed forces seized power last week.
The announcement came a day after the junta warned protesters it was ready to crack down on civilian opposition to its takeover.
At his first press conference since Thursday’s coup, General Prayuth Chan-ocha justified the uprising, saying he had to act after six months of increasingly violent confrontations between the nowousted government and its supporters, and demonstrators backed by powerful businessmen struggling to overthrow it.
‘‘The most important thing right now is to keep peace and order in the country,’’ Prayuth said. ‘‘When the conflict intensified, and there was the threat of violence, we had to act.’’
Suthep Thaugsuban, who had led seven months of protests and had been detained by the junta since the coup was announced last Thursday, left a military detention centre yesterday and later appeared at the attorney-general’s office escorted by police and soldiers.
He faces insurrection charges for seizing government ministries and other infractions during his protest bid.
The military has sought to limit the protests by detaining figures who might play leadership roles. The junta has defended the detentions of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, most of the deposed government’s Cabinet, and dozens of politicians and activists.
It also has ordered dozens of outspoken activists, academics and journalists to report to military authorities. More than 200 – most of them considered opponents of the new regime – have been officially summoned so far.