Thailand's new military rulers Sunday rolled their tanks out of Bangkok's royal and government center less than five days after a bloodless coup was greeted calmly in the capital.

A group of 10 tanks posted at the symbolic center of power in the Royal Plaza since last week's coup were withdrawn as the junta continued to consolidate control following the ouster of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

The generals at the weekend drew up a shortlist that shrank to three candidates to replace Thaksin and prepared to step up a corruption probe against the divisive premier, who remained in London.

Coup leaders sent tanks and troops into Bangkok on Tuesday to take power, ending months of bitter political division.

"The situation is under control but we still maintain tanks in some locations in Bangkok," said junta spokesman Colonel Acar Tiproj, while troops remained at key traffic junctions in the capital.

The regime appeared more worried about rumblings of dissent in the countryside, especially in the rural north the heartland of Thaksin's support where it has already closed 300 community radio stations.

Sunday, in its 22nd official missive since taking power, Thailand's top military brass banned all political activity at the village, district and provincial level, threatening "harshest penalties."

"There have already been movements at the provincial level and below, both supporting and opposing the military rulers," they said in a statement. "Such movements could cause problems and create divisions in society.

"The military leaders ask those groups to cease their political activities until the situation returns to normal."

Nine graft-fighters will start today investigating corruption claims against Thaksin and his government after the new regime appointed them last week to the National Counter-Corruption Commission.

Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka said she would tackle 10 cases of alleged government corruption during Thaksin's premiership after Thaksin's downfall was triggered by protests over his family's US$1.9 billion tax-free sale of the telecom empire he founded.

"One reason they gave to justify the coup was corruption," said political scientist Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University. "Now they have to prove it. They also want to make sure Thaksin doesn't come back."

The new leaders said they were also finalizing a temporary draft charter to replace the 1997 constitution that was scrapped with the takeover.

(China Daily September 25, 2006)