Washington: The US has cancelled an ongoing military exercise with Thailand and scrapped several bilateral engagements while urging restoration of democratic rule in the Southeast Asian country in the wake of a bloodless coup there.
Thailand’s army on Thursday seized power in a coup after months of anti-government protests. The military junta on Saturday dismissed the country’s Senate, detained premier Yingluck Shinawatra and top leaders of the ousted government for up to a week as it intensified its post-coup crackdown.
“While we have enjoyed a long and productive military-to-military relationship with Thailand, our own democratic principles and US law require us to reconsider US military assistance and engagements,” Pentagon press secretary, Rear Admiral John Kirby said.
Mr Kirby said this as he announced that the Pentagon was cancelling the ongoing Exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training 2014.
Preotestors defy Junta ban
Public anger at the Thai military’s coup grew on Sunday as more than one thousand protesters shouting “Get Out!” marched across the capital Bangkok in defiance of an army warning against protests.
