News and wire reports indicate that the government of Thailand has undergone an apparently bloodless coup. The BBC and other outlets are reporting that a segment of the Thai army says it has ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. BBC News is reporting that the faction used tanks to surround the prime minister's offices, suspended parliament and the constitution, and went to meet with the king, who this year marks his 60th year on the throne. Thaksin currently is in New York for United Nations meetings. A statement issued by leaders of the coup and posted online by the BBC says that the administration of the country's affairs by the current caretaker government has created conflicts and division. The statement continues: "The Administrative Reform Group under the Democratic System with the King as the Head of State wishes to reaffirm that it has no intention to become the administrators of the country."
