Thailand's military leader has received royal
endorsement at a ceremony in the capital, Bangkok, after taking power in a coup
last week.
Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha was formally
appointed to run the nation at the army headquarters.
The 86-year-old monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej,
did not attend the ceremony.
The military seized power in the South East Asian
nation last week, saying it planned to return stability to Thailand after
months of unrest.
The move followed six months of political deadlock
as protesters tried to oust the government of Prime Minister Yingluck
Shinawatra. At least 28 people were killed and several hundred injured over the
course of the protests.
But the coup - which removed an elected government -
has drawn widespread international criticism.
Small anti-coup protests took place in Bangkok over
the weekend, despite a military ban on gatherings of more than five people.
Experts have also warned that the coup is unlikely
to heal divisions in a nation in which politics have become highly polarized.
Gen Prayuth, dressed in white military uniform,
received the royal endorsement recently.
"To restore peace and order in the country and
for sake of unity, the king appointed Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha as head of the
National Council of Peace and Order to run the country," the royal command
seen by AFP news agency said.
The monarchy is highly respected and royal
endorsement is seen as key to legitimizing the takeover.
Speaking afterwards, Gen Prayuth said the most
important thing was "to keep peace and order in the country''.
Elections would take place as soon as possible, he
said, but gave no time frame. He also said he would have no choice but to use
force if protests continued.
The ruling junta is expected to set up a national
legislative assembly that will draw up a temporary constitution with a new
prime minister.
Since taking power the military has summoned and
detained dozens of key political figures, including Ms Yingluck. Journalists
and academics are also among those who have been called in.
Why this call in?
The TRUTH is always feared…
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