This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5366908.stm
The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Thai leaders ban political action | Thai leaders ban political action |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Thailand's new leaders have banned all meetings and other activities by political parties, two days after taking power in a military coup. | Thailand's new leaders have banned all meetings and other activities by political parties, two days after taking power in a military coup. |
| A statement read on TV said the action had been taken to maintain order. No timeframe was given for the ban. | |
| Meanwhile opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva challenged the military with a call for elections in six months. | Meanwhile opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva challenged the military with a call for elections in six months. |
| Coup leader Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin has proposed a year-long transitional period as a constitution is drafted. | Coup leader Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin has proposed a year-long transitional period as a constitution is drafted. |
| People returned to work for the first time on Thursday since PM Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted in Tuesday's bloodless takeover. | People returned to work for the first time on Thursday since PM Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted in Tuesday's bloodless takeover. |
| Tanks are still patrolling Bangkok's streets but the military presence is now less visible. | |
| 'Clarification needed' | |
| The BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok says the ban on parties is quite a worrying indication for a coup which was supposed to be light and smooth. | |
| The country has to move forward and the best way forward is for the coup leaders to quickly return power to the people and carry out reforms they promised Abhisit VejjajivaOpposition leader The order also banned the formation of new parties. | |
| The statement said the order would be reversed when normality returned. | |
| Public gatherings of more than five people are already forbidden under martial law, imposed when the military first took power. | |
| Correspondents say no open opposition to the coup has emerged. | |
| Mr Abhisit , who leads the Democrat party, the main opposition to Mr Shinawatra, said he was not overly alarmed by the new measure but wanted clarification. | |
| In an interview for Reuters news agency before the announcement, he said he did not support any kind of extra-constitutional change. | |
| He denied that a new constitution was needed, and said elections could be held in six months. | |
| "The country has to move forward and the best way forward is for the coup leaders to quickly return power to the people and carry out reforms they promised," he said. |