UN Secretary General Kofi Annan spoke out against the military coup in Thailand on Tuesday, saying unconstitutional seizures of power should not be encouraged. His remarks came as ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was present in New York for the UN General Assembly, where he subsequently withdrew from a scheduled address to the body.
Annan stated that the UN consistently backs democratic transfers of power through elections, citing the African Union's position against leaders who seize control by force. He called on the Thai public to stay calm and expressed confidence that the country could return to democratic governance, noting that Thailand had built strong democratic institutions over the previous decade under the king's leadership.
Army commander General Sonthi Boonyaratglin assumed the prime minister's powers after the military suspended the constitution and declared martial law, according to a spokesman for the coup leadership.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2006, in its own words.