HONG KONG -- Global leaders -- meeting far and wide from the UN General Assembly in New York to the IMF annual summit in Singapore -- were quick to condemn the military coup in Thailand that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. But the reality is the coup could actually end months of political uncertainty and benefit the country over the longer run. This was reflected on Asian stock and foreign exchange markets, where benchmarks fell in only a limited fashion in the immediate aftermath of the coup, with investors sensing the end of a difficult and messy era in Thai politics could finally be in sight. The coup was led by General Sonthi Boonyaratglin and reassuringly has so far proved bloodless. If the military can ensure no violence breaks out, then, with the sanctioning of Thailand's revered monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej, manage a swift transfer of power back to civilian rule, then Sonthi could emerge as the hero of the day.
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