Thailand to stay under martial law for another month

BANGKOK, Oct 11: Thailand will remain under martial law for about another month as the post-coup government lets political turbulence settle, Defence Minister Boonrawd Somtas said today.

''We can't do it now although the situation looks settled. There are still underwater waves,'' he told reporters. ''I think it may take about a month. We need to wait for the situation to be really resolved.'' Boonrawd gave no details of what political undercurrents might be at play with Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in the September 19 coup, having quit as leader of the Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party from London, virtually ensuring its break up.

Little opposition to the coup has been evident on the streets of Bangkok, where weeks of street demonstrations against Thaksin, twice a landslide election winner on the back of huge support in the countryside, led to political deadlock.

The military stepped in, saying it feared mass violence as Thaksin supporters in the rural heartland grew agitated.

The soldiers sent in to oust Thaksin were greeted with flowers and food and no one has been arrested yet under martial law, which bans political gatherings of more than five people.

Today, only 12 people turned up at Bangkok's Democracy Monument for a demonstration against martial law and to lay wreaths at its foot on the 9th anniversary of the ''People's Constitution'' which the military revoked.

Three policemen watched from a distance and 20 intelligence agents took pictures, but there were no arrests.

''I don't interpret this as a political gathering. It is a typical wreath-laying event that happens all the time at this monument,'' Police Captain Ubonthep Thesakorn told Reuters.

The new government of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, a retired army chief, said it wanted martial law lifted as soon as possible, but is clearly deferring on the issue to the military, which has retained control of security.

General Winai Phattiyakul, one the coup leaders, told reporters security agencies were weighing the pros and cons of lifting martial law before making a recommendation to the government.

''We need to listen to information from both security agencies and the Foreign Ministry before making a decision,'' Winai said.

REUTERS