Thai court suspends prime minister

BANGKOK, July 2 ------ Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended by the country’s Constitutional Court while her father went on trial for royal defamation in the latest setbacks for the kingdom’s dominant political dynasty. Thailand’s affairs have been driven for years by a battle between the conservative, pro-military, pro-royalist elite and the Shinawatra clan, whom they consider a threat to the Southeast Asian nation’s traditional social order.

Paetongtarn took power less than a year ago and will be suspended while the Constitutional Court investigates whether she breached ministerial ethics during a diplomatic spat with Cambodia. She told reporters at Bangkok’s Government House that she accepted the ruling. “It’s always been my intention to do the best thing for my country,” she said. “I’d like to apologize to the Thai people who are frustrated about this.”

The probe could take weeks or months and Thai media reports said Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, from her own Pheu Thai party, would initially take charge. A key opposition politician called for new elections. Rangsiman Rome, deputy leader of the opposition People’s Party — the successor to Move Forward, which won the most votes in the 2023 general election — told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that Paetongtarn had “lost her moral authority” and the ruling was “not surprising.” “Dissolving parliament is the solution,” he said.

Separately, Paetongtarn’s father Thaksin Shinawatra arrived at a criminal court in the capital Bangkok to face charges of breaching strict lese-majeste laws used to shield Thailand’s king from criticism. Thai political analyst Thitinan Pongsudhirak told AFP that “there is a direct undeniable linkage between the two cases,” and the brand of the Shinawatra family faces “a critical dilution.”

Border clash

A longstanding territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia boiled over into cross-border clashes in May, killing one Cambodian soldier. When Paetongtarn called Cambodian ex-leader Hun Sen to discuss the tensions, she called him “uncle” and referred to a Thai military commander as her “opponent,” according to a leaked recording that caused widespread backlash.

A conservative party abandoned the ruling coalition and around 10,000 people protested Paetongtarn’s government in the capital Bangkok over the weekend. Her approval rating plunged to just 9 percent, down from around 30 percent three months ago, a Bangkok university survey showed.

Conservative lawmakers accused Paetongtarn of kowtowing to Cambodia and undermining the military, and alleged she breached constitutional provisions requiring “evident integrity” and “ethical standards” among ministers. The Constitutional Court accepted the complaint for investigation and said in a statement that, by a 7-2 majority, it “suspends the respondent from Prime Ministerial duty from 1 July until the Constitutional Court has made its ruling.”

Thailand’s king approved Paetongtarn’s Cabinet reshuffle after her allies quit. She assigned herself the culture minister position and is due to take up the position on Thursday, but it is unclear if she could do so while under investigation.

Source: manilatimes.net