Army Commander in Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha takes over power in Thailand

Army Commander in Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha on Tuesday morning declared martial law covering the entire nation.

In a televised announcement, Prayuth called for the public to continue their lives as usual.

In the martial law announcement, Prayuth stated that the declaration was necessary to prevent people from committing violence and to return peace and order to the country.

Following the martial law declaration, the Army chief issued an order to set up the peacekeeping command to replace the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order. The Army chief is the chief of the peacekeeping command.

The peacekeeping command would have the authority to summon to be interrogated and to hand over documents and evidence to the authorities.

The order, which appointed the command, stated that all government agencies that are parts of the structure of the CAPO, except the Army, Navy and Air Force, must return to their agencies and their normal activities.

The peacekeeping command also has the authority to demand that the Internal Security Operations Command, the Royal Thai Police, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Interior Ministry and other government agencies to support their personnel and the operations of the command.

Reacting to the martial law declaration, Jatuporn Prompan announced that the red shirts would continue their rally at the Utthayan Road.

The People’s Democratic Reform Committee announced that it would cancel a planned march Tuesday because of the martial law.
The National Order Maintaining Council announced its structure, saying Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha became the head of the body.

The National Peace and Order Maintaining Council announced the suspension of the Constitution.

The NOMC announced that the caretaker government was terminated while the Senate, courts and independent organisations will continue to perform their duties.

SOURCE: Nation