
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 24, 1991                   TAG: 9102240038
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A/4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
DATELINE: BANGKOK, THAILAND                                LENGTH: Medium

THAI GOVERNMENT OUSTED

Thailand's military ousted the country's civilian government, suspended the constitution and imposed martial law Saturday in a coup that could undermine one of Asia's fastest growing economies.

Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan, a former general who was the first elected prime minister in 12 years, was arrested and members of his Cabinet were detained.

The coup was carried out without apparent violence, and the capital showed few signs of military activity. Shoppers jammed streets and malls as usual.

Troops in armored cars surrounded the buildings of Radio Thailand and the government-controlled television station. On the rival military station, an officer read a series of communiques from the new government, which is headed by Gen. Sunthon Khongsomphong, the supreme commander of the Thai military. The first communique ordered the public to "stay calm and avoid panic."

Sunthon was joined in the group, which called itself the National Peace and Order-Keeping Party, by the commanders of the army, navy, air force and police.

A communique said the military had major grievances against the Chatichai government, and put rampant corruption at the top of the list. It charged that Chatichai was persecuting senior civil servants and trying to destroy military institutions.

Thailand has been coup-prone since the absolute monarchy was ended by revolution in 1932. Since then, it has endured 17 attempted or successful military moves against the government.

But since Chatichai's government took office in July 1988, the country has been widely praised for making the transition to elected, civilian rule despite the often stormy encounters between the government and military leaders.

Thanks in part to its record of political stability, Thailand has attracted billions of dollars in foreign investment from the United States, Taiwan and Japan, fueling an economy that has grown 10 percent for each of the past three years - the fastest growth in the world.

Despite the new regime's promises to honor all of Thailand's international commitments, the coup creates uncertainty that political observers say could deter new foreign investment.

by CNB