Thai PM Yingluck bids farewell

WASHINGTON - The United States on Wednesday urged all sides in Thailand to refrain from violence, as a court in the Southeast Asian nation removed Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra from office.

The Constitutional Court's order for Shinawatra and nine of her cabinet members to step down came as a major victory for Thailand' s "Yellow Shirt" protest movement.

"We continue to urge all sides to resolve political tensions in a peaceful and democratic manner so that the Thai people can choose political leadership they deserve in keeping with Thailand' s democratic ideals, a resolution should include elections and an elected government," State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said at a daily news briefing.

"We urge all sides at this time to exercise restraint, and reaffirm that violence is not an acceptable means of resolving political differences," she added.

The court ruled that Shinawatra, Thailand's first female premier, abused her power when she transferred a national security aide to another position in 2011.

The governing party rejected the ruling as "a new form of coup d'etat."

Anti-government protests broke out in November in Thailand, with a view to forcing out Shinawatra and her government.