Thai military detains former PM Yingluck Shinawatra senior officer -...

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Thailand's military government detained on Friday former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and members of her family after summoning her and other ministers for talks a day after the military seized power from her caretaker government.

"We have detained Yingluck, her sister and brother-in-law," a senior military officer told Reuters. The two relatives have held top political posts.

"We will do so for not more than week, that would be too long. We just need to organize matters in the country first," said the officer, who declined to say where Yingluck was being held.

Earlier, Thailand's military leaders summoned ousted PM Shinawatra to a meeting, a day after army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha seized power in a bloodless coup and said he wanted to restore order following months of turmoil.

General Prayuth launched his coup after the various factions refused to give ground in a struggle for power between the royalist establishment and a populist government that had raised fears of serious violence and damaged Thailand's economy.

Soldiers detained politicians from both sides when Prayuth announced the military takeover, which drew swift international condemnation, after talks he was presiding over broke down.

Leaders of pro- and anti-government protest groups were still believed to be in detention on Friday, an opposition lawmaker said, declining to be named.

The military censored the media, dispersed rival protesters in Bangkok and imposed a nationwide 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew.

It has summoned Yingluck and 22 associates, including powerful relatives and ministers in her government, to a meeting at an army facility at 10 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Friday.

Yingluck is the sister of Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire telecommunications tycoon turned politician who won huge support among the poor but the loathing of the royalist establishment, largely over accusations of corruption and nepotism. He was ousted as premier in a military coup in 2006.

REUTERS

Thai military detains former PM Yingluck Shinawatra-senior officer

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