In recent years, Thailand has been hit by a brutal insurgency, the devastating Christmas Day tsunami and a military coup. Of the three, the coup, while bloodless, may have left the country the most unsettled.
In September 2006, a group of generals ousted the elected government of Thaksin Shinawatra while he was visiting the United Nations in New York and named new civilian leaders. The seizure of power proceeded calmly, but support for the generals slipped as they settled into power. as they reversed policies and seemed uncertain as they tried to produce a new constitution.
In August, a new constitution designed by the military was approved by nearly 58 percent of voters. But 63 percent voted against it in the poor, rural northeast, the stronghold of the former prime minister, living in self-exile in London. With the new constitution in place, the military prepared for elections in December to return the country to civilain rule. But the divisions shown in the referendum seemed likely to persist.
Source: The New York Times
