Thai coup leader backed by king, warns citizens

Bolstered by a royal endorsement on Monday to run the country after last week's coup, Thailand's military leader warned citizens not to cause trouble, not to criticize, not to protest - or else face a return to street violence.

Dressed in a crisp white uniform, General Prayuth Chan-ocha said he had seized power to restore order after seven months of violent confrontations and political turmoil between the now-ousted government and demonstrators who had called repeatedly for the army to intervene.

"I'm not here to argue with anyone. I want to bring everything out in the open and fix it," Prayuth said at his first news conference since taking power on Thursday.