BANGKOK โ Demonstrators descended upon Thailandโs capital on Saturday, rallying in the thousands to call for the resignation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. This public unrest stems from a leaked phone call with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, which has stirred political tensions.
The prime minister has faced mounting criticism over her management of a contentious border issue with Cambodia, which led to an armed clash on May 28, resulting in the death of a Cambodian soldier in a disputed zone. The call to Hun Sen has triggered various investigations in Thailand, potentially jeopardizing Paetongtarnโs leadership.
The protests focused on Paetongtarnโs comments about a regional army commander during the call, perceived as efforts to placate Hun Sen. Approximately 20,000 protesters gathered around the Victory Monument in Bangkok, waving national flags and holding placards despite a heavy afternoon downpour. They chanted slogans and danced to nationalist tunes as speakers criticized the government.
โWeโve never had a prime minister whoโs so weak,โ expressed Tatchakorn Srisuwan, a tour guide from the Surat Thani province. โWe donโt seek conflict, but we are Thai and want to defend our sovereignty.โ The protest concluded peacefully with assurances that demonstrators will return if the government ignores their demands.
Many attendees were members of the Yellow Shirts, a conservative pro-royalist group opposing Paetongtarn. They have historically challenged her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was overthrown in a 2006 coup, and played a role in toppling her aunt Yingluck Shinawatraโs elected government in 2014.
In response, Hun Sen remarked on Saturday that the Thai militaryโs actions at the border marked a severe breach of Cambodiaโs sovereignty. He addressed a large audience during the anniversary of the Cambodian Peopleโs Party in Phnom Penh. The history of territorial disputes between the two nations remains a sensitive matter, especially given a 1962 International Court of Justice decision awarding Cambodia the territory containing the Preah Vihear temple. This decision, re-affirmed in 2013 during Yingluckโs tenure, led to periodic clashes.
The phone call scandal has strained Paetongtarnโs coalition government, leading to the departure of the Bhumjaithai Party, a major ally. The coalition now holds a fragile majority with 255 of 500 seats, jeopardizing its stability. Paetongtarn faces further investigations that could result in her ousting.
Sarote Phuengrampan, from the National Anti-Corruption Commission, announced an inquiry into Paetongtarn for ethical misconduct related to the Hun Sen call, though no timeline for a resolution was provided. The Constitutional Court might soon consider a petition to remove Paetongtarn, which could see her suspended pending investigation. However, the prime minister remains unperturbed, stating that the call was harmless.
โItโs evident from the call that I neither gained personally nor harmed the country,โ she explained. Paetongtarnโs predecessor from Pheu Thai was dismissed over ethical breaches, with Thailandโs courts often viewed as protective of the royalist establishment, using their authority to neutralize political adversaries.