SONDHI

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP):

Thailand's army chief, who ousted elected Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a bloodless coup, promised yesterday to appoint an interim government in two weeks, but Western nations and human rights groups condemned his takeover as a blow against democracy.

Army commander Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin sealed the success of Tuesday night's military takeover by receiving royal endorsement as leader of the new junta, while Thaksin, who watched events unfold from abroad, pondered his future and the threat of possible prosecution at home.

Create peace

"In order to create peace in the country, the king appoints Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin as head of the Council of Administrative Reform," said an official announcement read Wednesday evening on state-run television. "All people should remain peaceful and civil servants should listen to orders from Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin from now on."

Receiving the imprimatur of revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej legitimises the takeover, and should effectively quash any efforts at resistance by Thaksin's partisans. Sondhi said there would be new elections by October next year.

There appeared to be a sense of relief among many Thais at the resolution of political tensions that had hung over the nation since the beginning of the year, when street demonstrations demanding Thaksin step down for alleged corruption and abuse of power, gained momentum.

Good humour

Thailand has had no working legislature and only a caretaker government since February, when Thaksin dissolved parliament to hold new elections in an effort to reaffirm his mandate.

The presence of tanks and armed soldiers on the streets of Bangkok was taken with good humour in an almost holiday atmosphere, as schools, government offices and the stock market were closed yesterday. They were supposed to reopen Thursday.

There was also hope that a new regime could more effectively tackle a violent Islamic insurgency in the south that has resulted in more than 1,700 deaths in the last two years.