Tanks are rolling through Bangkok as the military attempts a coup to overthrow Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who is presently in New York to address the opening of the United Nations General Assembly’s 61st session.

Shinawatra has faced considerable opposition in the past year amid widespread allegations of corruption. Faced with mounting protest he called a snap election in April. Three main opposition parties boycotted the election which was later ruled unconstitutional by the supreme court for failing to elect enough members to fill all the seats in parliament.

The country has been in political limbo since, as Shinawatra prepares for new elections in November.

Shinawatra has declared a state of “serious emergency law” from New York, and stated that things would soon return to normal. Shinawatra has cut short his trip to New York to address the situation.

See the following for more details:

BBC: “Thai PM ‘Overthrown in Army Coup’ ”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5361512.stm

AFP: “Troops Seize Centre of Thai Capital in Apparent Coup”
http://www.afp.com/english/news/stories/060919165132.691ofq9y.html

Reuters: “Thai Army Coup Ousts Government”
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx...

IHT: Tanks Circle Government Offices in Bangkok”
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/09/19/asia/web.0919thaiCND.php

CNN: “Thai Government Faces Coup Attempt”
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/09/19/thailand.coup.rumor/index.html