Thai military tightens grip

Thailand's military tightened its grip on power as it moves to douse smouldering protests fuelled by social media and to rally commercial agencies and business to revitalise a battered economy. Sarah Toms reports.

Published

about 1 month ago

Categories

World

Topics

World

People

Yingluck Shinawatra, Sarah Toms

Places

Bangkok

Transcript

This protest outside a shopping centre in the Thai capital is illegal and a direct challenge to the military. Several hundred protesters defy a ban on large gatherings and take to the streets to show their anger at the military's seizure of power last week. They jeer and hurl abuse at the soldiers. In response the army is trying to calm the anger by rallying businesses to help revive the country's battered economy. Senior finance officials and the leaders of state and private commercial organisations have been summoned to meetings. The army has also asked 18 newspaper bosses for talks, presumably to receive directions on supportive coverage. The military's been holding the former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and an unknown number of her ministers since Thursday. But at a news conference a spokesman insisted they are all safe. (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) ARMY DEPUTY SPOKESMAN, WINTHAI SUVAREE, SAYING: "As for the detention of those who reported to the council, it was done so that we can create an understanding in the conflict and let them clarify what they have done. They have been provided with an appropriate place and surroundings. There were not tied up, beaten, or tortured by any means." Hundreds of soldiers line up to try to contain the crowd. Soldiers drag two people away. (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER SAYING: "I don't want a dictatorship. I don't want a coup. I don't want a dictatorship, I don't like them. I don't want them, I only want elections." But rather than restore peace and order as the army says it wants, the military takeover appears to be inflaming the tensions still further.