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BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- Four top members from the administration of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a bloodless military coup this week, have been detained, a spokesman for military leaders who staged the takeover said Thursday.Two of the four ministers were being held at an army guest house north of Bangkok and two were at army headquarters in the capital, said the spokesman, who didn't want his name used. He said the men will be held until a new prime minister is appointed. Thai army chief Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratglin, the country's self-proclaimed interim leader, promised Wednesday to restore democracy as soon as possible. Among the detainees is former Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit. The others are Newin Chidchob, the minister attached to the prime minister's office; Yongyut Tiyapairat, the minister of Natural Resources and Environment; and Cabinet Secretary General Prommin Lertsuridej. The announcement of the arrests comes on the same day as the junta said it was banning on all political meetings and the registration of new political parties. The junta said the action was taken to maintain peace and order. It did not give a timeframe. "To ensure the constitutional monarchy is functioning after reforms have been completed, the Political Reform Council has ordered political parties to halt all meetings and political activities," it said in a statement read out on television, Reuters said. Thailand's greatly revered long-reigning king has reportedly endorsed the military coup. The statement from King Bhumibol Adulyadej came after he met Sonthi, who staged the coup Tuesday while Thaksin was in New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly. In a nationally televised address Wednesday, he declared the coup d'etat complete and promised power would be returned to the people as soon as possible. Sonthi met throughout the day with government officials, members of parliament and leaders of other institutions, such as universities, seeking their endorsements. He said his new ruling council "has so far received cooperation from all sectors of Thai society without any resistance." Speaking from London, England, Thaksin said Thursday he would take a "deserved rest," and urged the military leaders of his country to quickly arrange for elections. In a statement handed by an aide to reporters, Thaksin urged "all parties to find ways and means to reconcile and work toward national reconciliation for the sake of our king and country." Thaksin arrived Wednesday in London from New York, and was staying at the Dorchester Hotel. The statement did not say whether he intended to stay in London, where he has a residence, or return to Thailand, where he could face prosecution for corruption. Meanwhile, an exiled Muslim rebel leader on Thursday welcomed the Thaksin overthrow, saying the coup could help resolve a bloody Islamic insurgency in the country's south, The Associated Press reports. "It is the right thing that the military has taken power to replace the Thaksin Shinawatra government," said Lukman B. Lima, an exiled leader in one of several groups fighting the central government for a separate Muslim state. "We hope that the political (situation) can be resolved under Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratglin as the new leader," Lukman said. In an e-mailed response to questions from The Associated Press, Lukman said that Sonthi was the "only one who knows the real problems" of the Muslim-dominated provinces of southern Thailand. Sonthi, 59, known to be close to Thailand's constitutional monarch, is a Muslim in a Buddhist-dominated nation. He was selected last year to head the army, partly because it was felt he could better deal with the Muslim insurgency in the south, where 1,700 people have been killed since 2004. He has urged negotiations with the separatists, in contrast to Thaksin's hard-line approach. International reaction to the coup was initially muted Tuesday, largely because details of the situation were scarce at first. But Wednesday, a spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Annan wanted civilian rule and new elections "as quickly as possible." The United States, a longtime ally, declared itself "disappointed" in the coup and urged the restoration of civilian rule as soon as possible. White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters that a free-trade agreement with Thailand would be held up until the military yielded power. "We hope those who mounted it will make good, and make good swiftly, on their promises to restore democracy," Snow said. U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey would not say whether the United States wanted Thaksin returned to power, telling reporters, "These are issues for the Thai people to determine." Meanwhile, political uncertainty flowing from Tuesday's military coup has prompted investment bank Morgan Stanley to cut its Thai GDP growth forecast sharply. Report: Government officials arrested A statement from coup leaders Wednesday urged workers and farmers -- Thaksin's key constituents -- to remain calm, and said unauthorized gatherings of more than five people were punishable by six months in prison under martial law. The Nation newspaper in Bangkok said several senior government officials and others close to Thaksin had been arrested, their fates unknown. It said they included Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit and Supreme Military Commander Gen. Ruengroj Maharsaranond. Agriculture Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan, one of Thaksin's closest political associates, fled to Paris with her family, it said. Thailand now has had 18 coups since World War II. Rumors of the latest had been swirling around Bangkok in recent weeks as Thaksin battled considerable pressure to step down. The telecommunications billionaire has been accused of abusing the country's system of checks and balances and bending government policy to benefit his family's business. He had called elections in April, three years early. But the country's constitutional court ruled that vote was unconstitutional, and a new round of balloting had been scheduled for November.
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