Blow for Thailand's government as court suspends PM from duty
BANGKOK: Thailand's Constitutional Court on Tuesday suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from duty pending a case seeking her dismissal, in a major setback for a government under fire on multiple fronts and fighting for its survival. The court accepted a petition from 36 senators accusing Paetongtarn of dishonesty and breaching ethical standards, based on a leak of a sensitive telephone call with Cambodia's influential former leader Hun Sen that was intended to de-escalate a territorial row and tense troop buildup at their border.
The leaked June 15 call triggered domestic fury and has left Paetongtarn's coalition with a razor-thin majority after a big party abandoned the alliance and accused her of undermining sovereignty, as protest groups threaten more demonstrations to demand a new government.
Paetongtarn's battles after only 10 months in office underline an intractable power struggle between the billionaire Shinawatra dynasty and an influential establishment backed by the army - a two-decade grudge match that has seen two military coups and court rulings that have toppled multiple parties and prime ministers. She accepted the court's decision on Tuesday and apologized over the leaked call, during which she kowtowed before Hun Sen and criticized a Thai army commander, a red line in a country where the military has significant clout.
'My true intention in the leaked conversation, my true intention 100 percent, was to work for the country to maintain our sovereignty and save the lives of all our soldiers,' Paetongtarn told reporters.
It has been a baptism of fire for political novice Paetongtarn, who at 37 was thrust into the spotlight last year as Thailand's youngest premier after the Constitutional Court dismissed ally Srettha Thavisin for a violation of ethical standards. Paetongtarn, the fourth member of her family to hold the top post, has been struggling to revive a stuttering economy and arrest a sharp decline in popularity, with an opinion poll released at the weekend showing her approval rating sinking to 9.2 percent in June from 30.9 percent in March.
Thai shares jumped 1.8 percent after the midday break on expectations that political uncertainty could lead to further cuts in interest rates by the central bank. Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit takes over as caretaker premier while the court decides the case against Paetongtarn, who has 15 days to respond and will stay in the cabinet as the new culture minister following a reshuffle.
Paetongtarn is not alone in her troubles, with influential tycoon father Thaksin Shinawatra, the driving force behind her government, facing legal hurdles of his own in two different courts this month.
Polarizing tycoon Thaksin appeared at his first hearing at Bangkok's Criminal Court on Tuesday on charges he insulted Thailand's powerful monarchy, a serious offence punishable by up to 15 years in prison if found guilty. Thaksin denies the allegations and has repeatedly pledged allegiance to the crown. The case stems from a 2015 media interview Thaksin gave while in self-imposed exile, from which he returned in 2023 after 15 years abroad to serve a prison sentence for conflicts of interest and abuse of power. Thaksin, 75, dodged jail and spent six months in hospital detention on medical grounds before being released on parole in February last year. The Supreme Court will this month scrutinize that hospital stay and could potentially send him back to jail. — Reuters
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Kuwait Times
a day ago
- Kuwait Times
Blow for Thailand's government as court suspends PM from duty
Paetongtarn says true intention was to save lives, protect sovereignty BANGKOK: Thailand's Constitutional Court on Tuesday suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from duty pending a case seeking her dismissal, in a major setback for a government under fire on multiple fronts and fighting for its survival. The court accepted a petition from 36 senators accusing Paetongtarn of dishonesty and breaching ethical standards, based on a leak of a sensitive telephone call with Cambodia's influential former leader Hun Sen that was intended to de-escalate a territorial row and tense troop buildup at their border. The leaked June 15 call triggered domestic fury and has left Paetongtarn's coalition with a razor-thin majority after a big party abandoned the alliance and accused her of undermining sovereignty, as protest groups threaten more demonstrations to demand a new government. Paetongtarn's battles after only 10 months in office underline an intractable power struggle between the billionaire Shinawatra dynasty and an influential establishment backed by the army - a two-decade grudge match that has seen two military coups and court rulings that have toppled multiple parties and prime ministers. She accepted the court's decision on Tuesday and apologized over the leaked call, during which she kowtowed before Hun Sen and criticized a Thai army commander, a red line in a country where the military has significant clout. 'My true intention in the leaked conversation, my true intention 100 percent, was to work for the country to maintain our sovereignty and save the lives of all our soldiers,' Paetongtarn told reporters. It has been a baptism of fire for political novice Paetongtarn, who at 37 was thrust into the spotlight last year as Thailand's youngest premier after the Constitutional Court dismissed ally Srettha Thavisin for a violation of ethical standards. Paetongtarn, the fourth member of her family to hold the top post, has been struggling to revive a stuttering economy and arrest a sharp decline in popularity, with an opinion poll released at the weekend showing her approval rating sinking to 9.2 percent in June from 30.9 percent in March. Thai shares jumped 1.8 percent after the midday break on expectations that political uncertainty could lead to further cuts in interest rates by the central bank. Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit takes over as caretaker premier while the court decides the case against Paetongtarn, who has 15 days to respond and will stay in the cabinet as the new culture minister following a reshuffle. Paetongtarn is not alone in her troubles, with influential tycoon father Thaksin Shinawatra, the driving force behind her government, facing legal hurdles of his own in two different courts this month. Polarizing tycoon Thaksin appeared at his first hearing at Bangkok's Criminal Court on Tuesday on charges he insulted Thailand's powerful monarchy, a serious offence punishable by up to 15 years in prison if found guilty. Thaksin denies the allegations and has repeatedly pledged allegiance to the crown. The case stems from a 2015 media interview Thaksin gave while in self-imposed exile, from which he returned in 2023 after 15 years abroad to serve a prison sentence for conflicts of interest and abuse of power. Thaksin, 75, dodged jail and spent six months in hospital detention on medical grounds before being released on parole in February last year. The Supreme Court will this month scrutinize that hospital stay and could potentially send him back to jail. — Reuters
Arab Times
2 days ago
- Arab Times
Court suspends Thailand's PM to investigate leaked phone call
BANGKOK, July 1, (AP): Thailand's Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office Tuesday pending an ethics investigation over a leaked phone call with a senior Cambodian leader. The judges voted unanimously Tuesday to take the petition accusing her of a breach of ethics, and voted 7 to 2 to suspend her from duty as a prime minister. The court gave Paetongtarn 15 days to give evidence to support her case. Paetongtarn has faced growing dissatisfaction over her handling of the latest border dispute with Cambodia, involving an armed confrontation on May 28 in which one Cambodian soldier was killed. The leaked phone call while she engaged in diplomacy with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen set off a string of complaints and public protests. Paetongtarn said after the court order that she would accept the process and would do her best to defend herself, as she had no other intentions but to protect the country and preserve peace. "I only thought about what to do to avoid troubles, what to do to avoid armed confrontation, for the soldiers not to suffer any loss. I wouldn't be able to accept it if I said something with the other leader that could lead to negative consequences,' she said. She also thanked her supporters and apologized to people who got upset over the leaked call. Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungruangkit is expected to become the acting prime minister, although there's been no official confirmation. Earlier Tuesday, King Maha Vajiralongkorn had endorsed a Cabinet reshuffle forced when a major party left Paetongtarn's coalition over the leaked phone call. The reshuffle had replaced Anutin Charvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, as deputy prime minister. Paetongtarn took the position of culture minister in addition to prime minister in the new Cabinet, though it's still unclear if she can take the oath to remain in that role. Outrage over the call mostly revolved around Paetongtarn's comments toward an outspoken regional army commander and her perceived attempts to appease Hun Sen to ease tensions at the border. Thousands of conservative, nationalist-leaning protesters rallied in central Bangkok on Saturday to demand Paetongtarn's resignation. Paetongtarn also faces investigations over an alleged breach of ethics by the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, whose decision could also lead to her removal.
Kuwait Times
4 days ago
- Kuwait Times
Thai protesters demand PM's resignation
BANGKOK: Thousands of anti-government protesters rallied in the Thai capital Bangkok on Saturday, demanding Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra resign after a leaked diplomatic phone call stirred public anger. A Cambodian elder statesman leaked a call meant to soothe a border spat between the two nations in which Paetongtarn called him 'uncle' and referred to a Thai military commander as her 'opponent'. A key party abandoned Paetongtarn's coalition, accusing the 38-year-old dynastic premier of kowtowing to Cambodia and undermining Thailand's military, leaving her teetering with a slim parliamentary majority. About 10,000 demonstrators jammed roads ringing the capital's Victory Monument, waving Thai flags and placards reading 'Evil PM, get out'. One speaker took to the stage and shouted: 'PM, you committed treason!' The crowd was mostly senior-aged and led by veteran activists of the 'Yellow Shirt' movement, which helped oust Paetongtarn's father Thaksin in the 2000s. One of Thaksin's former allies, now among his harshest critics, was also a key organizer. 'I'm here to protect Thailand's sovereignty and to say the PM is unfit,' said 70-year-old protester Seri Sawangmue, who travelled overnight by bus from the country's north to attend. 'After I heard the leaked call I knew I couldn't trust her,' he told AFP. 'I've lived through many political crises and I know where this is going. She's willing to give up our sovereignty.' Thailand has seen decades of clashes between the bitterly opposed 'Yellow Shirts' who defend the monarchy and military, and the Thaksin-backing 'Red Shirts', considered by their opponents a threat to the traditional social order. Jamnong Kalana, 64, said she was once a 'Red Shirt' but had changed her colors and was demanding the resignation of Paetongtarn, leader of the Pheu Thai party. — AFP 'I feel full of pain when I see a fellow Thai who doesn't love the country like I do,' she said. Mass protests have been uncommon in Thailand since 2021, when youth-driven demonstrations calling for monarchy reform ended with many leaders convicted under the country's strict lese-majeste laws. Authorities said more than 1,000 police and 100 city officials had been deployed to the protest, which remained peaceful on Saturday afternoon. The 62-year-old protester Santhiphum Iamjit was overcome with emotion. 'Our ancestors shed blood, sweat and tears for this land, but now politicians are ready to give it away for personal gain,' the former bureaucrat tearfully told AFP. Paetongtarn was visiting Thailand's flood-hit north but before departing Bangkok she told reporters: 'It's their right to protest, as long as it's peaceful.' The prime minister has been battered by controversy and abandoned by her largest backer, the Bhumjaithai Party, after her phone call with Cambodia's ex-leader Hun Sen was leaked earlier this month. Tensions between the countries have soared after a border dispute boiled over into violence last month which killed one Cambodia soldier. Thailand's military has staged a dozen coups since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932 and politicians are usually careful not to antagonize the generals. After calling a border region military commander her 'opponent', Paetongtarn gave a contrite press conference where she issued a public apology flanked by military officials in a show of unity. Her remaining coalition partners have not yet backed out of their pact. But next week both Paetongtarn and her father face legal battles that could reshape Thailand's political landscape. On Tuesday the Constitutional Court will decide whether to take up a petition by senators seeking her removal over alleged unprofessionalism. – AFP
