September 19, 2006

Military Coup in Thailand

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Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has declared a state of emergency in Bangkok amid reports of a coup attempt. (Tanks were seen surrounding Government House in Bangkok.) His problem–or perhaps his good fortune–is that he’s at the UN right now. Details are murky but Reuters is reporting that the armed forces and police has set up a commission to decide on political reforms. Thaksin has been accused of undermining democracy. Word is that elections would be called soon and Thaksin will be allowed to take part. No doubt the Council on Foreign Relations will put up something helpful soon to make sense of the background to all this…

One early upshot of the reported coup: emerging sovereign bonds (Thailand has $2.1 billion in debt) “eased slightly” on the news.

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DEMOCRACY DOES NOT EXIST...

without free and fair elections, a vigorous free press, and engaged citizens to reclaim power from those who abuse it.

In this election year unlike any other—against a backdrop of a pandemic, an economic crisis, racial reckoning, and so much daily bluster—Mother Jones' journalism is driven by one simple question: Will America move closer to, or further from, justice and equity in the years to come?

If you're able to, please join us in this mission with a donation today. Our reporting right now is focused on voting rights and election security, corruption, disinformation, racial and gender equity, and the climate crisis. We can’t do it without the support of readers like you, and we need to give it everything we've got between now and November. Thank you.

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