Don't think about coup, US warns Thai military

[FarCenter]

Monday, June 02, 2008

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates delivered a clear message to Thai leaders yesterday that Washington expects the military to respect its civilian masters and refrain from any attempt to seize power. A week of anti-government protests in Bangkok have ignited fears that the military may stage another coup, two years after a similar street campaign against then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra led to his ouster in a bloodless putsch.

At a meeting in Bangkok with Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, who is also the defense minister, and a dozen senior military officers, Gates said democracy is the foundation of America's relationship with the Thai military. "It is one of the reasons why the secretary's here - to reaffirm that the military relationship is based upon shared democratic values," said a senior US defense official.

Anti-government protesters vowed to keep up their protests against Samak. They want him to step down, accusing him of being a puppet for Thaksin. Samak, who on Saturday threatened to use riot police to forcibly remove the protesters, took a more conciliatory tone yesterday. He said authorities would move the protesters from their encampment, but insisted police would not use force.

Protests disrupted several other Asian capitals yesterday, including Seoul, Jakarta and New Delhi. In Seoul, police fired water cannons and detained more than 200 protesters during a street rally against South Korean government plans to resume US beef imports. Nearly 40,000 people joined the biggest demonstration yet against the government's backing for an import agreement that protesters say fails to protect against mad cow disease.

And in Jakarta, Islamic hard-liners broke up a religious tolerance rally, beating demonstrators with bamboo sticks and calling for the deaths of members of a Muslim sect they consider heretical. About 200 Christians, moderate Muslims and members of Ahmadiyah - an Islamic group the government is considering banning - were gathered at the National Monument to celebrate the country's tradition of pluralism when members of the Islamic Defenders' Front rushed up with flags and sticks.

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=17&art_id=66651&sid=19168203&con_type=1