Army imposes martial law in Thailand on Tuesday May 20th 2014 due to extreme violence and riots. The Martial Law in Thailand was not lesser then a surprise for acting Prime Minister Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan. Lt. Gen. Nipat Thonglek further said that move was not a coup. “The army aims to maintain peace, order and public safety for all groups and all parties,” a ticker running on the army’s television channel said. “People are urged not to panic, and can carry on their business as usual,” he said. The people of Thailand are all too familiar with coups. There have been at least 18 actual and attempted military takeovers since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, through a spokesman, issued a statement about the imposition of martial law, saying that he has consistently called on all sides to work together. He is quoted in the statement as saying peace in Thailand can only come about if the people have respect “for democratic principles and engagement in democratic processes. The secretary-general urged all sides to exercise “utmost restraint, refrain from any violence and fully respect human rights,” according to the statement.
