Thailand’s Festive Coup?

“It was near midnight on Tuesday, tanks had rolled up to Bangkok’s Government House and the monsoons were drenching the crowds. But the mood during Thailand’s first military coup since 1992—the previous one ended with protesters gunned down in the streets—was remarkably festive. Women in mini-skirts posed for pictures in front of tanks, while elderly men in pajamas jabbered on cellphones.” And so begins another military coup in Thailand.

This coup probably took quite a bit of planning as they sprung the “trap” when Thaksin was in New York about to give a speech to the UN Assembly. They have also taken over most of the media including broadcast of CNN/BBC and major newspapers. The internet as well as “Thaksin’s” telecommunication such as mobile telephone and telephone lines are however still up.

In regards to whether the coup is justified or not, I believe the question can only truly be answered by the Thais themselves.
To be fair, Thaksin has done quite a few things since he took power in 2001. However some of his antics have defintely not played well with the public. The sale of his telecom empire to Singtel last year sparked increasing controversy for his reign.

It does give us some food for thought into how business especially big business can influence another country’s politics. This does give ammunination to the folks who believe in economic warfare.

Interestingly enough, news of the coup and the “calm” has being surfaced and leaked through the internet.