2008 Woodie Awards
Thailand coup goes largely unnoticed
NIcole Chismar '07
Issue date: 9/28/06 Section: World
With reports of at least 18 coup de'tats since World War II, Thailand has put another notch on its belt this week after a bloodless military coup ousted the country's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Tuesday, Sept. 19.
The coup, which was endorsed by Thailand's King Bhumibol, plans to restore civilian rule within one year. In the meantime, Thai army chief, Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratglin, has currently declared himself the country's interim leader. Boonyaratglin told reporters that his new ruling council had received cooperation "from all sectors of Thai society without any resistance."
Just 36 hours after being shut down because of the coup, the city of Bangkok was back to work as normal. While strong allies of Thailand, including the United States, have declared dissapointment in the coup, events like tennis' Thailand Open are being held, and there is no travel advisory being issued by the United States.
According to a statement from Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports, "all tourist destinations, facilities and services in the country remain in operation without disruption, and all tourism-related events organized under the authority of the Ministry will be held as scheduled."
White House spokesman Tony Snow also informed CNN that the free-trade agreement with Thailand has been halted until civilian government is reestablished.
"We hope those who mounted it will make good, and make good swiftly, on their promises to restore democracy," Snow said. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan also urged Thailand to hold elections "as quickly as possible."
Despite this disappointment, many political scientists, including Douglas Blum, professor of Political Science at Providence College, agree that Thailand's current situation will not weigh heavily on the international political environment.
The coup, Blum stated, "will have next to no impact whatsoever on international relations. Partly because of Thailand's minor significance, and partly it has to do with the fact that the coup-at least so far -appears to be no more than a coup. That is, it involves a change of senior leadership but does not involve a change of regime, and therefore doesn't portend any change in political, ideological, or economic orientation."
Blum also hinted at why media attention may have been sparse, suggesting "the country's minor significance as an international actor" as a possible cause.
Nevertheless, many PC students are concerned about the fate of the Thai government. Katelin Fitzpatrick '07, agreed, saying, "We hope the upcoming elections will not only happen quickly, but also be as fair and accurate as possible, especially if they are going to be supervised by the UN."
Prime Minister Shinawatra, who was in the United States on U.N. business at the time of the coup, is now sequestered in London, and will face charges of election fraud upon his return to Thailand.
Sources: SABC, CNN, Reuters
The coup, which was endorsed by Thailand's King Bhumibol, plans to restore civilian rule within one year. In the meantime, Thai army chief, Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratglin, has currently declared himself the country's interim leader. Boonyaratglin told reporters that his new ruling council had received cooperation "from all sectors of Thai society without any resistance."
Just 36 hours after being shut down because of the coup, the city of Bangkok was back to work as normal. While strong allies of Thailand, including the United States, have declared dissapointment in the coup, events like tennis' Thailand Open are being held, and there is no travel advisory being issued by the United States.
According to a statement from Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports, "all tourist destinations, facilities and services in the country remain in operation without disruption, and all tourism-related events organized under the authority of the Ministry will be held as scheduled."
White House spokesman Tony Snow also informed CNN that the free-trade agreement with Thailand has been halted until civilian government is reestablished.
"We hope those who mounted it will make good, and make good swiftly, on their promises to restore democracy," Snow said. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan also urged Thailand to hold elections "as quickly as possible."
Despite this disappointment, many political scientists, including Douglas Blum, professor of Political Science at Providence College, agree that Thailand's current situation will not weigh heavily on the international political environment.
The coup, Blum stated, "will have next to no impact whatsoever on international relations. Partly because of Thailand's minor significance, and partly it has to do with the fact that the coup-at least so far -appears to be no more than a coup. That is, it involves a change of senior leadership but does not involve a change of regime, and therefore doesn't portend any change in political, ideological, or economic orientation."
Blum also hinted at why media attention may have been sparse, suggesting "the country's minor significance as an international actor" as a possible cause.
Nevertheless, many PC students are concerned about the fate of the Thai government. Katelin Fitzpatrick '07, agreed, saying, "We hope the upcoming elections will not only happen quickly, but also be as fair and accurate as possible, especially if they are going to be supervised by the UN."
Prime Minister Shinawatra, who was in the United States on U.N. business at the time of the coup, is now sequestered in London, and will face charges of election fraud upon his return to Thailand.
Sources: SABC, CNN, Reuters