Thai military leader vows to clean up politics and return power to the people(Filed: 20/09/2006)
Leaders of the bloodless coup in Thailand have vowed to clean up politics as they tightened their control of the southeast Asian nation today.
In a broadcast on Thai television, General Sondhi Boonyaratklin said the army had seized power to unify the country, and accused Thaksin Shinawatra, the ousted prime minister, of corruption and nepotism.
The coup leader also accused the prime minister of causing an "erosion of democratic institutions" and an "unprecedented rift in society".
Gen Boonyaratklin said that the newly created Council of Administrative Reform had no intention of ruling the country, and wished to return power to the Thai people "as soon as possible".
This morning, however, the coup leaders moved to censor foreign and domestic media and banned public gatherings of more than five people as part of measures designed to ensure public order.
Foreign leaders have expressed concern over the developments in Thailand and some warned their citizens against travelling to one of Asia's most popular holiday destinations.
Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary, told reporters in New York that she was "never happy about military attempts to overthrow a government," but she added that details of the coup were still unclear, making it difficult to comment.
Indonesia's Foreign Minister Hasan Wirayuda, also in New York for the UN General Assembly, said he hoped that the political crisis in Thailand could be settled through democratic means, a sentiment expressed by many leaders.
Today Thailand's prime minister is preparing to leave the United States for an uncertain future, after having watched his downfall in a military coup on television in New York. His destination is unknown.
