2014 Thai coup d'état
On 22 May 2014, the Royal Thai Armed Forces, led by General Prayut Chan-o-cha, the commander of the Royal Thai Army (RTA), launched a coup d'état, the twelfth since the country's first coup in 1932,[1] against the caretaker government of Thailand following six months of political crisis.[1] The military established a junta called the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to govern the nation. The coup ended the political conflict between the military-led regime and democratic power, which had been present since the 2006 Thai coup d'état known as the "unfinished coup".[2] Seven years later, it developed into the 2020 Thai protests to reform the monarchy of Thailand.
After dissolving the government and the Senate of Thailand, the NCPO vested executive and legislative powers in its leader and ordered the judicial branch to operate under its directives. In addition, it partially repealed the 2007 constitution, save the second chapter that concerned the king,[3] declared martial law and curfew nationwide, banned political gatherings, arrested and detained politicians and anti-coup activists, imposed Internet censorship in Thailand and took control of the media.
The NCPO issued an interim constitution that granted itself amnesty and sweeping power.[4] The NCPO also established a military-dominated national legislature which later unanimously elected General Prayut as the new prime minister of the country.[5]
In February 2021, government ministers Puttipong Punnakanta, Nataphol Teepsuwan and Thaworn Senniam were found guilty of insurrection during protests that led to the 2014 coup d'état.[6][7]
Aftermath[edit]
Future roles[edit]
The NCPO stated on 23 May 2014 that it aimed to conduct national "economic, social and political" reforms before elections were permitted.[93][94] It said a reform council and a national assembly will be set up to work on the reforms.[95] It also said it wanted to handle, inter alia, the rice pledge project problems, and will carry out a project of constructing roads on both banks of the Chao Phraya River.[93] The road construction project was originally initiated by the PTP in 2012 and was part of a flood control project.[96]
General Prayut said he would run the country until the situation required an interim government.[95] In administering the country, he said he will use the military command and control systems which he believed would develop the country.[97] The NCPO announced that its leader would determine national administrative policies, both "short-term and long-term".[48]
Unlike previous coups, there were no promises of a quick return to civilian rule.[60] On 26 May, the NCPO held a press conference at which a Thai Rath journalist asked General Prayut if he would become the new prime minister himself. Prayut did not refuse, answering, "It is already in the plan." Another journalist, from the Bangkok Post, asked when an election would happen. Prayut replied, "[An election] depends on the situation. [There is] no deadline. That's enough", before walking out of the conference room.[98] The following day, both journalists were summoned by the NCPO on grounds of "giving questions that lessen public confidence in the ruler".[99]
An NCPO spokesman also said that normal democratic principles could not be applied at the current time.[100] The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the military's decisions showed that General Prayut is preparing "a long-term pervasive takeover without the calling of quick elections".[101]
On 29 May 2014, Lieutenant General Chatchalerm Chalermsukh, deputy army chief of staff, told reporters at a press conference in Bangkok, that while elections would be held, there was no timetable. "Right conditions" would have to be put in place before an election took place, he said. A day later, in a national television address, General Prayut said elections would not be held for at least fifteen months. He warned against resistance to the military and called on all sides to co-operate and stop protesting.
Some observers believe that elections are being postponed due to issues of succession to the throne of Thailand. The king's "...death will shake Thailand like nothing has in its modern history, and the Thai military wants to be firmly in charge when that happens. It is that simple."[102]
Domestic responses[edit]
Pro- and anti-government protesters[edit]
Many PDRC protesters lauded the announcement of the coup at their rally sites.[123] Phra Buddha Issara, a then Buddhist monk and PDRC co-leader, went on stage to proclaim the victory of the anti-Shinawatra government protesters before requesting that his followers disperse and go home.[124] Soldiers took over the pro-government protest sites and fired shots in the air to disperse protesters.[125]
The last group of protesters left Bangkok on the evening of 23 May 2014.[126] The NCPO provided 70 military vehicles to carry the protesters from both sides home.[127]
Council of the European Union
Ban Ki-moon
Impacts[edit]
The United States suspended US$3.5m in military aid to Thailand from its overall aid package of US$10.5 million[218] and cancelled military engagements, including military visits and training.[219] It also urged tourists to cancel trips and halted non-essential visits by its governmental officers.[218]
Some border checkpoints between Thailand and neighbouring states were closed following the coup.[220][221]
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports said on 27 May that the arrival of "foreign tourists dropped by 20%".[222]
The coup also resulted in the cancellation of American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's concert for The Red Tour, formerly scheduled on 9 June 2014, in Bangkok,[223] and the postponement of several events, including USA Fair 2014 scheduled for 30 May–2 June 2014.[224]
Asia Sentinel reported on 9 June 2014 that Thai rights groups estimated that some 200 people remained in detention since the coup happened.[182]
After the NCPO vowed on 11 June 2014 to deal with illegal foreign workers in Thailand, saying "we see illegal workers as a threat",[225] a very large number of foreign migrants, more than half of whom were women and children, left the country the same day. The International Organization for Migration described the event as a "sudden influx" and expressed its concern.[226] The BBC reported on 16 June 2014 that more than 180,000 Cambodians fled Thailand after the NCPO announced the crackdown.[227] A group of Cambodians died in a car accident on their way to the border and this enraged the Cambodian government, which said the Thai military must be held responsible for all the problems that have occurred.[227] Burmese migrants in northern Thailand were arrested and were released only after a "protection fee" was paid. Rights groups said employers in southern Thailand had also advised their foreign workers to go into hiding in the woods or rubber plantations to avoid arrest.[228]