UNITED NATIONS, Sept 20: World leaders on Wednesday condemned a military coup in Thailand, urging the country to return to the rule of law and calling on their citizens to stay away from the Southeast Asian nation.

The dramatic events in Bangkok unfolded as many world leaders were in New York for the UN General Assembly, including the former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who cancelled his scheduled address to the assembly.

Mr Thaksin was set to arrive in London on Wednesday, amid uncertainty about his future plans, the British Foreign Office said.

Thailand’s new military ruler General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said: “I will resign as interim prime minister within two weeks, and now we are looking for the person who will become the new prime minister.” He hoped to hold new elections in October 2007. But world leaders cautioned against overthrowing elected governments.

“This is not a practice to be encouraged,” said UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said.

“We, as an organisation, have always supported governmental changes through democratic means, through the ballot box,” he told CNN.

The United States condemned the coup in Thailand and called for a return to civilian rule ‘as quickly as possible’.

In its first detailed reaction to Tuesday’s dramatic uprising, Washington said there was no justification for a coup, but stopped short of calling for the restoration of Thaksin or his scandal-tainted government.

“There’s no justification for a coup in Thailand or in any place else,” said State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey.

“We certainly are extremely disappointed by this action. It’s a step backward for democracy in Thailand.

“We want to see a resolution of this situation in accordance with the rule of law and in accordance with democratic procedures — that certainly means the restoration of civilian rule in Thailand as quickly as possible.”

“We call on the Thai people to return to the road of legal and democratic constitutional order through a peaceful solution,” French foreign ministry spokesman Denis Simoneau told journalists.

In Malaysia, state-run Bernama news agency quoted Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as saying from New York: “I am really shocked. I didn’t expect a coup would have taken place in Thailand.”

Officials warned Malaysians against crossing into Thailand.

Iran called for ‘calm and order’ while India gave a cautious response, noting the pledge from the military authorities to restore democracy.—AFP