National Council for Peace and Order (2014)

National Council for Peace and Order (2014)
Name	National Council for Peace and Order
Native name	คณะรักษาความสงบแห่งชาติ
Formation	22 May 2014
Dissolved	2014–?
Headquarters	Bangkok
Leader title	Head
Leader name	Prayut Chan-o-cha
Type	Military junta

National Council for Peace and Order (2014) The National Council for Peace and Order was a Thai military junta that seized control in a coup d'état in May 2014, replacing the caretaker Yingluck Shinawatra administration and suspending the Constitution of Thailand; it operated alongside institutions such as the Royal Thai Armed Forces and the Thai Monarchy while interacting with actors including the United States Department of State, United Nations, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and international media outlets like BBC News, The New York Times, and Al Jazeera. The council declared martial law and later promulgated orders affecting bodies such as the National Assembly (Thailand), the Constitutional Court of Thailand, the Election Commission of Thailand, and the Thai Civil Service Commission, drawing responses from political parties including Pheu Thai Party, Democrat Party (Thailand), and movements such as the People's Democratic Reform Committee and the Red Shirts (United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship).

Background

In the lead-up to the coup, Thailand experienced prolonged political conflict involving Thaksin Shinawatra, Yingluck Shinawatra, and rival elites centered around institutions like the Royal Thai Police, Supreme Court of Thailand, and provincial power-holders in regions including Isan, Chiang Mai, and Phuket. Mass protests organized by the People's Democratic Reform Committee and counter-protests by the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship culminated after the 2013–2014 street demonstrations, interventions by the Constitutional Court of Thailand, and legislative deadlock in the House of Representatives (Thailand), amid economic pressures involving the Bank of Thailand and foreign relations with Japan, China, and United States. Previous episodes such as the 2006 coup that deposed Thaksin Shinawatra and the enactment of the 2007 Constitution of Thailand shaped the institutional landscape and the role of senior officers from the Royal Thai Army and the Royal Thai Navy.

Formation and Declaration of Martial Law

On 20–22 May 2014, senior figures from the Royal Thai Armed Forces invoked provisions related to national security and declared martial law under statutes historically used since episodes like the 1932 Siamese Revolution; the formal announcement followed disruptions near sites such as Government House (Thailand), Ratchaprasong, and Don Mueang International Airport, and coincided with alerts from foreign missions including the Embassy of the United States, Bangkok, the British Embassy, Bangkok, and the Embassy of Japan in Thailand. The proclamation suspended elements of the Constitution of Thailand and curtailed activities of organizations like the National Human Rights Commission (Thailand), while the junta cited precedents in regional crises involving Burma/Myanmar and Indonesia to justify stabilization measures. Orders issued referenced legal instruments and institutions such as the Internal Security Act and the offices of the Attorney General of Thailand.

Structure and Leadership

Leadership centered on senior officers from the Royal Thai Army, notably Prayut Chan-o-cha who assumed the role of head of the council and later prime minister, with key figures drawn from commands including the 1st Army Region (Thailand), Command and General Staff College (Thailand), and the Surayud Chulanont era networks. The council formed committees interfacing with the Ministry of Defense (Thailand), the Ministry of Interior (Thailand), and the Royal Thai Police, and appointed military officers to oversee agencies such as the Bank of Thailand board and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission. The junta operated through mechanisms resembling emergency councils used in past crises involving leaders like Sarit Thanarat and institutions such as the Privy Council of Thailand.

Policies and Governance

The council implemented policies including suspension of political activities for parties like Pheu Thai Party and limits on media outlets including Thai PBS, invoking orders that affected operations of institutions such as the National Anti-Corruption Commission (Thailand), the Office of the Ombudsman (Thailand), and universities like Chulalongkorn University and Thammasat University. Economic and development decisions touched entities including the State Railway of Thailand, Petroleum Authority of Thailand, and state investment projects tied to partners such as China Railway Group and Japan International Cooperation Agency. Security measures targeted protests connected to movements like the Yellow Shirts (People's Alliance for Democracy) and the Red Shirts, while legal reforms and a charter-drafting process engaged institutions such as the Constitution Drafting Committee and the Thai Senate.

Domestic and International Reactions

Domestic responses ranged from support among factions affiliated with People's Democratic Reform Committee and segments of the Royalist establishment to opposition from figures associated with Pheu Thai Party, Suthep Thaugsuban, and civil society groups including the Human Rights Watch monitoring network. International reactions included statements from the United Nations Human Rights Council, travel advisories by the United States Department of State, sanctions or expressions of concern from the European Union, and diplomatic engagement by neighbors within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and partners like China and Japan. Media coverage featured reporting by outlets such as Reuters, Agence France-Presse, CNN, and The Guardian, while legal challenges involved the International Criminal Court-related commentary and human rights advocacy from organizations like Amnesty International.

Transition and Dissolution

The council oversaw a transition that included drafting of a new charter via bodies such as the Constitution Drafting Committee and appointments to the National Legislative Assembly (Thailand), leading to an eventual restoration of a formalized cabinet with Prayut Chan-o-cha as prime minister and interactions with electoral processes involving the Election Commission of Thailand. The process invoked historical comparisons to earlier regime transitions including post-2006 arrangements and engagements with international financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank concerning economic normalization. Over time, the junta's direct rule gave way to institutional configurations involving the Senate of Thailand and revised constitutional provisions, while debates persisted in academia and policy circles at institutions such as King Prajadhipok's Institute and universities across Bangkok and the Thai provinces.

Category:Politics of Thailand