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Tag: military coup

  • Taylor Swift Cancels Thailand Concert After Coup

    Country-pop superstar Taylor Swift has cancelled her sold-out concert in the politically turbulent Thailand.

    The concert, which was scheduled for the night of June 9, was confirmed as being cancelled by the concert promoter BEC-Tero Entertainment. On their website they cited the reason for the cancellation as being “due to recent events in Thailand.” The statement continued by saying that it was a difficult decision for all parties involved.

    “Due to recent events in Thailand, Taylor Swift’s concert in Bangkok scheduled for Monday June 9, 2014 has been cancelled,” the statement read. “This has been a difficult decision for all parties. Taylor, AEG, BEC Tero and 13 Management all express regret and sincere apologies to the fans in Thailand.”

    “Ticket holders are able to refund their tickets for this special event at all ThaiTicketMajor branches during normal business hours from Thursday 29th May 2014 at 10.00 hrs. until Monday 30th June 2014,” the statement continued. “For further information, please contact Thaiticketmajor call center at 02 262 3838. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.”

    Thailand came under military rule last week after a coup d’état. The military has suspended television broadcasting from international networks in Thailand, and they have issued a 10 p.m. curfew and ban on street gatherings. This comes after months of street protests and political instability.

    Swift was due to tour the region as part of her Red Tour in the coming weeks. Aside from Thailand, Swift is scheduled to perform in Shanghai, Tokyo, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore.

    “I’m sending my love to the fans in Thailand,” Swift wrote in a Twitter post earlier today. “I’m so sad about the concert being canceled.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Yingluck Shinawatra Has Been Freed

    Yingluck Shinawatra Has Been Freed

    A week after the Thai military declared martial law, bringing political fighting to a halt, it has been learned that former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is no longer in military custody.

    An anonymous source said to be very close to Shinawatra told CNN that the former PM had been released from a military camp.

    She had been instructed to report to National Council for Peace and Order along with more than 100 other political figures on Friday.

    After doing so, Shinawatra was eventually released.

    The unnamed source told CNN that she had been instructed by military officials to steer clear of protesters and movements in order to help restore order and peace to the politically-torn country.

    The Thai military stepped in and declared martial law following months of protests and repeated attempts by protesters to hijack election processes. The martial law advanced towards a full-on military coup d’état when it was determined that no resolution could be reached between opposing factions.

    Though Shinawatra has been confirmed by multiple sources to have been let go following the meeting with military officials, there’s conflicting stories regarding the level of freedom with which she is able to move about the country.

    One person said that Shinawatra likely does not possess “freedom of mobility and communication”.

    The military group is allegedly working to summon around 150 influential individuals within Thai politics in order to force a move forward in the country’s political future.

    The council said that it wants these persons to “adjust their perception and make them think about the country, think about the Thai people as a whole, not just one particular group.”

    Despite the largely peaceful response to the coup, there are already signs of unrest. Persons within the capital city of Bangkok are expected to organize protests on Monday in a continued expression of unhappiness with the military takeover.

    Since the coup, there has been no independent coverage of events allowed in the country. CNN’s international coverage was blacked out in the country.

    Meanwhile, a number of Thai stations were back on the air after being shut down during the initial takeover.

    Image via YouTube

  • Thai Army Declares Yet Another Coup

    When the Thai army first seized control a couple of days ago, they initially informed citizens that it was not a coup.

    They felt it was a needed response to the national unrest and political deadlock. The goal was to restore some kind of order under a brief form of martial law.

    Now it seems that they’ve changed their mind; what was previously not a military coup suddenly is.

    Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha announced during a Thai television broadcast on Thursday that the military commission that had declared martial law was now officially declaring a military coup.

    Television broadcasts were suspended and have since been replaced with the commission’s announcements. Between the periodic announcements, patriotic music is played.

    A nationwide curfew from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am was also declared.

    Prayuth said, “”It is necessary for the Peace and Order Maintaining Command…to take control of governing the country.”

    What made the move “necessary” has been the months of unrest surrounding controversial Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

    Shinawatra was the target of months of protest following her attempt to force through legislation that would bring her brother Thaksin home from exile abroad. She was also accused by a Thai court of abusing power and ordered to step down.

    Despite Shinawatra’s popularity with the rural majority, she is despised among the middle and upper class, who made up the majority of the protesters.

    Efforts to hold new elections were continually disrupted by protesters.

    With the country in a political deadlock as talks between opposing political factions were going nowhere, the military leaders decided that they would maintain control of Thailand.

    The coup has been bloodless and relatively peaceful. Some people have actually felt comfortable enough with the situation to take “selfies” with military personnel.

    This latest decision to takeover by the Thai military marks the 12th coup the nation has experienced since 1932.

    Image via YouTube