U.S. tells Thailand it wants democracy, not coup

By Andrew Gray

BANGKOK (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates delivered a clear message to Thai leaders on Sunday that Washington expected the military to respect its civilian masters and refrain from any attempt to seize power.

A week of anti-government protests in Bangkok have ignited fears that the military may stage another coup, two years after a similar street campaign against then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra led to his ouster in a bloodless putsch.

At a meeting in Bangkok with Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, who is also the defense minister, and a dozen senior military officers, Gates said democracy was the foundation of America's relationship with the Thai military.

"It is one of the reasons why the secretary's here -- to reaffirm that the military relationship is based upon shared democratic values," said a senior U.S. defense official, briefing reporters on the condition that he was not named.

"He's not hectoring," the official said. "But the message was clear, and respectful."

Before heading to Bangkok from Singapore, Gates told reporters: "Our position is pretty consistent. We want to see democratically elected governments and we will convey that."

Gates' visit to Thailand was arranged as part of a broader Asia tour before the current protests against the pro-Thaksin coalition government elected in December.

Gates, a former CIA director who took over at the Pentagon from Donald Rumsfeld in late 2006, praised Thailand as a consistent partner.

"Thailand is an old ally of the United States," he said in Singapore, where he attended the annual Shangri-La dialogue of Asian defense and security officials.

THAI OPPOSITION VOWS MORE RALLIES

The United States lifted restrictions on aid to Thailand in February after a new elected government took power.

Washington had suspended about $35 million in assistance to Thailand, including funds designed to promote military professionalism, after the bloodless 2006 coup.

Samak threatened on Saturday to use the police to break up a rally of 6,500 anti-government protesters. But police did not move against them after an apparent reversal by Samak, who accused the media of misreporting his remarks.

Violence stemming from a clampdown on the rally could add to concerns about the army being drawn back into the political fray, particularly after scuffles broke out between pro- and anti-Thaksin protesters at a rally last Sunday.

A Thai opposition group vowed to hold more street rallies.