Thailand’s new ruling junta said Thursday it has no desire to “cling to power” but also has no clear timeframe for when it will allow free elections.

“We will definitely have an election,” said Lt General Chatchalerm Chalermsukh, the army’s deputy chief of staff. But he added, “this will take some time. If you ask me how long it will take, that’s difficult to answer.”

And

Several political figures, mostly on the pro-government side, were held incommunicado for a week and freed only after signing a waiver agreeing not to say or do anything that could stir conflict.

And

The military has said it will crack down on online speech it considers inflammatory.

And further from Chatchalerm:

Today there are still protests. It shows that some people want to create turmoil. So it’s impossible to hold elections at the moment.

Well, all right, then.