Thailand’s government said it was studying developments in Myanmar while pro-democracy activists have called for a protest to denounce the military takeover of its neighbor.
While one deputy prime minister told reporters this morning they were awaiting information about what was happening inside Myanmar, another dismissed word of a coup as an internal matter.
“It’s their business,” said Prawit Wongsuwan, a former army commander who helped stage Thailand’s 2014 coup. “It’s their domestic issue.”
Coup d’etat underway after Myanmar military arrests Aung San Suu Kyi, president
Meanwhile, protest organizer WeVolunteer has called for a rally to oppose the coup at 3:30pm in front of the Myanmar Embassy on lower Sathon Road.
“As citizens of an ASEAN member state, WeVo would like to condemn the coup,” the organizer announced. “Stop Dictatorship! And Coalition for democracy in Myanmar. Respect their vote.”
While calls were going out for protests outside Myanmar’s diplomatic mission in Bangkok, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha was awaiting a report from the Security Department.
“What happened took people around the world by surprise, how can Thailand be so smart that it knows what’s happening in Myanmar?” Wissanu said.
The coup had been brewing for some time with the Tatmadaw, as Myanmar’s military is called, refusing the accept the outcome of November’s election and alleging election fraud following its proxy party’s dismal performance. Early this morning, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other senior civilian officials were taken into army custody. The military declared a state of emergency and said power had been handed to Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
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