当地时间9月19日夜里，泰国军方发动军事政变。9月20日，发动政变的领导人、泰国陆军司令颂提表示，军方无意统治国家，泰国将在两周内成立一个文官政府，任命一位新总理。据悉，看到街头出现的大量士兵和坦克，泰国曼谷的民众并没有因此陷入恐慌，他们似乎平静接受了这一切。

　　Thailand's Army Commander-in-Chief Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin listens to a reporter's questions in Bangkok Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2006. [AP]

　　Bangkon, Thailand - Thailand's new military ruler, winning crucial royal backing for his bloodless coup, announced Wednesday that he would not call elections for another year. The US and other Western nations expressed disapproval and urged a swift restoration of democracy.

　　Army commander Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin, appearing relaxed and confident in his military uniform at his first news conference since seizing power Tuesday night, said he would serve as de facto prime minister for two weeks until the junta, which calls itself the Council of Administrative Reform, chooses a civilian to replace him and drafts an interim constitution .

　　Sondhi sealed the success of his coup by receiving royal endorsement as leader of the new junta, while ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who watched events unfold from abroad, pondered his future and the threat of possible prosecution at home.

　　Receiving the imprimatur of revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej legitimizes the takeover, and should effectively quash any efforts at resistance by Thaksin's partisans. Thaksin's ouster followed a series of missteps that prompted many to accuse the prime minister of challenging the king's authority, an unpardonable act in this traditional Southeast Asian nation that is a popular vacation destination for Westerners.

　　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. 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, a city of more than 10 million, was taken with good humor in an almost holiday atmosphere. Schools, government offices and the stock market were closed Wednesday but were to reopen Thursday.

　　Outside Thailand, the coup drew criticism from several foreign governments and human rights groups, who expressed dismay at the overthrow of a popularly elected government.

　　The Bush administration denounced the coup and hinted that US aid, military cooperation and improved trade relations might be in jeopardy.

　　Vocabulary:

　　bloodless coup: 不流血政变

　　junta: 政变后上台的军政府

　　interim constitution: 临时宪法

　　imprimatur: 许可、认可

　　mandate: 统治权，管辖权

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