Thailand’s junta leader orders ‘end to army rule,’ keeps security forces’ powers

Thai junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha on Tuesday ordered an end to military rule before his new civilian government is sworn in. However, he kept the power to let security forces carry out searches and arrests unchallenged, Reuters said.

Since Prayuth took power in a 2014 coup, his junta has issued more than 500 orders under Article 44, which allowed him to bypass Thailand’s laws.

He is due to become a civilian prime minister after being picked by junta-appointed senators and the lawmakers who were elected in a March 24 vote that his opponents say was rigged against them.

The order issued on Tuesday, which Prayuth said would be the junta’s last, ended restrictions on the media and transferred civilian cases from military to civilian courts.