Protesters call on Army to stage 'peaceful coup'

The Nation July 11, 2013 1:00 am About 100 anti-government protesters staged a rally outside Royal Thai Army Headquarters yesterday, calling on Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha to stage a peaceful coup against "parliamentary dictators who were attempting to bring the Army under their control". Protest leader Samarn Sringarm, a veteran of campaigns against the Thaksin government, submitted a letter addressed to Prayuth, urging him to battle the "parliamentary dictators" who it said were plotting to sabotage the country's pillars of power and take charge of the military. The letter asked Prayuth to stage a peaceful coup for the sake of national stability and to prevent any group from bringing His Majesty's military under its control. The group also presented a bouquet of flowers to military guards at the headquarters as a symbol of moral support. Supreme Commander Gen Thanasak Patimakorn and other military top brass will join the National Police Chief today on a visit to the Royal Thai Armed Forces' annual joint training exercise in Nakhon Ratchasima's Wang Nam Kheow sub-district. Thanasak is expected to give the top brass's response to the ongoing controversy surrounding an audio clip in which it is alleged Deputy Defence Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha and Thaksin Shinawatra discussed possible changes among the top brass. Anti-government protesters led by Chaiwat Sinsuwong and the Pitak Siam group will today rally at the Defence Ministry to call on Yuthasak to step down following the leaking of the audio clip.