Thailand is a nation in damage control. Its military at the centre of a public relations
battle being waged as it tries to sell its seizing of power as a "good coup".
So very, very happy, very enjoy. Very happy. Perfect.
I find it myself today that it is a tourist attraction, I tell my clients that it look
like a national childrens day. That the parents bring all the children to see this and the
same way that our clients like to see this that I bring them here.
They are so warm, so friendly. I think they smile so much, they are so happy, that even
when they are having a coup they are still happy.
And that's the image Thailand's coup makers are keen to promote abroad through its English-speaking
spokesman.
When we talk about coup, it's not really as bad as you think it would be because of our
intention.
The one man who is no longer smiling is the nation's now former prime minister, Thaksin
Shinawatra. A year ago he was the country's all-time most powerful elected leader.
Now he's in exile in London, knowing he could well face jail if he was to return home.
Well, if he came back we would probably invite him first to talk to us. And that's the, we
can clear things up. We can still consider he is a Thai citizen. And the Thai citizen
should talk, you know, clear things up.
Have you been in contact, has the military, this council, been in contact with him?
No.
No phone calls?
No.
For a man who won three landslide elections - the third was declared void earlier this year
- he has few friends left.
For the past year, Thais have regularly taken to the streets
accusing Mr Thaksin of corruption and abuse of power. But politicians critical of his rule, although
welcoming his removal from power, are feeling increasingly nervous about the military's
grip on power.
I am trying to call those people who are working with the military to take it easy. I mean,
they are trying to control everybody.
Last week, Kraisak Choonhaven was the chairman of the Thai Senate's foreign relations committee.
So I have a feeling that they should get out of this paranoia, you know, and come to their
senses. That they have the majority of the people on their side already and they should
not in fact establish some sort of draconian control over the Thai society to such an extent.
The coup makers had said they didn't want to stay in power. But in an ominous announcement
yesterday, the generals now say they will remain in government as 'advisors' even after
a civilian prime minister is appointed. And in the past week, key politicians loyal to
the former prime minister have been detained, martial law has been declared, media criticism
curbed and any gathering of more than five people banned.
Our intention is really to correct things and return the power to the people as quickly
as possible.
In a democracy, it is not the military's decision to correct things according to what the military
thinks is wrong.
Well, it is different, because the mentality of a different country concerning military
is different. You might - you've been in Thailand for many years, so you understand that our
military here is not just to protect the country, we also help develop the country.
So far there's been little outcry. Even the country's longest-established political party,
the Democrats, has been mealy mouthed in its defence of democracy itself. Earlier this
year the Democrats boycotted the general election accusing Thaksin Shinawatra of undermining
the basic principles of a democratic state and refusing to commit to constitutional reform.
The government, the prime minister, refused to even come to that so we decided to boycott
it, which was our constitutional right.
But it seems that people are messing with democracy here - you don't like it, you boycott
it, you don't like the Prime Minister, you throw him out.
That's not true. That's not true. We have tried all efforts in order to bring the solution
to the problem, to the crisis, to the prolonged crisis, through the political process, through
the parliamentary process, through the democratic process. We have failed. We were willing to
go on. We were willing to toil on, on that road, but a lot of people thought it was futile.
And toward the end, the military leaders took the action. We cannot condone, we cannot agree,
we cannot support but we understand.
What little outcry there has been is generated by this man - academic and proud socialist
Gile Ungpakorn.
I grew up under military dictatorships in Thailand and they all say the same thing.
That they are going to reform politics, that they are going to return power to the people
as soon as possible and they are going to draw up a constitution.
In defiance of the military's ban on gatherings of more than five people, he led the first
protest against the military coup.
Our message is that we want the military to return to barracks and not intervene in politics.
We want the 1997 constitution restored and we want free democratic rights - the right
to assembly, the right to express opinions and a free media.
Hundreds gathered to watch the handful of protesters stage a series of protests on the
steps of a downtown shopping centre. This first test of the coup leaders' resolve passed
unremarkably. Security forces were present, photos were taken, but no arrests made.
Right now we haven't seen or heard anything. The police need a chance to look at things
first. I can't answer you now.
But it's not the military's ban on political gatherings that kept people away. Thailand
may be one of South-East Asia's leading democracies, but polls show an overwhelming number of people
support this coup. A poll taken just after the coup showed rural voters now more in favour
of the military's action to break the political deadlock, which has plagued the nation for
almost a year, than their urban counterparts. This woman bought her drink cart under one
of the prime minister's job schemes to help the rural poor. She can't believe all the
corruption allegations against him.
Thaksin always worked a lot. When he works so much it is possible for them to miss some things
But here in the main market of Ayutthaya, the former capital of Thailand, people tired
of the political uncertainty see the coup as a means to bring political stability.
It's good, the problems will now stop. Maybe the economy will improve.
And accusations of corruption against the prime minister, which the military is now
promising to investigate, are beginning to bite.
Right now I don't love him, because he has made many problems for the country. It's not
that I don't like him, I don't like what he has done.
The coup council has already set up an anti-graft commission which will have the power to seize
assets of politicians and their families. The military appears to be hoping that by
exposing corruption under the former prime minister, it will justify its seizing of power.
Korn Chatikavanij is a former international banker and now a senior member of Thailand's
oldest political party, the Democrats.
I want Thaksin to return, I want him to be given a fair trial.
As the only surviving party, the Democrats know it too stands to gain politically. But
to outright endorse the coup would be a step too far.
It's a bonus in some respects for the Democrats, isn't it? You wouldn't have won the election
that wasn't had, that you boycotted. You wouldn't win one now. Come a year's time, you are the
only party that's left.
Well, I think that summary of the situation is fair, but I think you have to acknowledge
the fact that we are the only party that was fighting against all that was wrong with the
Thaksin regime over the past five years. So in many years if we are finally rewarded for
that, I think that's fair rewards.
Another unlikely supporter of the coup is this woman. Dr Porntep Rojansunan is a forensic
scientist who has worked hard at uncovering the truth behind some of the country's worst
human rights abuses, especially in the south where a Muslim insurgency has been brutally
suppressed.
It's a time of good things have happened in Thailand, but we have to wait, because the
problem of the human rights in Thailand is in a very worse situation, not a good situation.
When 78 young Muslim men suffocated after being loaded onto trucks packed like logs
she was called to investigate. She exposed a level of brutality and savagery that shocked
the world and has inflamed an insurgency which has now cost almost 2,000 lives in the past
few years. Dr Porntep sees the end of Thaksin's hardline approach as by the far the best chance for
the south.
Why do you think it is going to get better?
Maybe because General Sonthi, he is the only one who understands the things in the south.
Maybe not because he is the Muslim but maybe because he has a loyalty to the King.
With Thailand somewhat of a beacon for democracy in the region, it's disturbing than an elected
prime minister, albeit in caretaker mode, has been overthrown by the military. But the
allegations of anti-democratic abuse against Thaksin Shinawatra have been swirling for
over a year. There is an acceptance amongst most Thais that if the coup turns out to be
the only way to bring him to account, then perhaps the interests of democracy will be
served by this most unfortunate of methods.
I would like to see him facing the music. In fact I would like to see him faced with
honest judges and bring all the charges of human rights violations.
What are plans in London?
See my daughter, relax.
I would like to see him face the charges on tax evasion, and outright corruption in so
many cases.