By Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Pracha Hariraksapitak BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha set out his plans for the country on Friday, a day after seizing power in a coup, saying reforms were needed before an election can be held and enlisting the help of the civil service. The military summoned ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to a meeting and then banned her and 154 others, including politicians and activists, from leaving the country. If the situation is peaceful, we are ready to return power to the people." 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. An aide to a minister in the ousted government who declined to be identified said some people, including his minister, had been detained.
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May 23rd, 2014
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