Thailand's Coup

The coup in Thailand the other day was significant. News is beginning to seep out about the new leaders and decisions being made which are worrisome. The military overthrew the democratic prime minister while he was in New York for the opening of the UN session. The suspended the nation's constitution, installed a general in power and are demanding control over the media. They claim they'll have elections at the end of 2007 but don't hold your breath. These people don't appear to have any democratic bones in their bodies.

I listened to a spokesman for the new regime on NPR's BBC newscast this morning. It was worrisome. Thailand was already scheduled for elections in several months. He wouldn't answer as to why, if the military was concerned about "a division in the country" they couldn't have waited for the election to resolve things properly. Probably because their faction is the minority and would not have prevailed in free and open elections. Why else stage a coup?

He kept contradicting himself, first insisting there were no restrictions on the media. The interview immediately preceding had been with a journalist who said otherwise. The spokesman finally conceded there were restrictions on "political media to prevent confusion." Prevent confusion??? You suspend the right to free speech based on worries about sowing confusion? I suspect the confusion the new regime wants to constrict is about freedom and democracy. They don't want the Thai people to become confused that they live in a democracy. They don't any longer.