Phnom Penh: Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended by the country’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday, as it opened a probe into her conduct in a diplomatic spat with Cambodia.
The kingdom’s politics have been dominated for years by a battle between the conservative, pro-military, pro-royalist elite and the Shinawatra clan, who they consider a threat to Thailand’s traditional social order.
The blow to 38-year-old Paetongtarn came on the same day that her father, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra faced a criminal court over allegations of royal defamation.
Paetongtarn took power less than a year ago but will be suspended while the Constitutional Court deliberates whether she breached ministerial ethics during the border row.
A long-standing territorial dispute with 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 which caused widespread backlash.
Conservative lawmakers accused her of kowtowing to Cambodia and undermining the military, and allege she breached constitutional provisions requiring “evident integrity” and “ethical standards” among ministers. “The Constitutional Court with a majority of 7-2 suspends the respondent from Prime Ministerial duty from 1 July until the Constitutional Court has made its ruling,” said a statement.
Paetongtarn said Tuesday she accepted the suspension. “The ruling has come out and I accept the court decision,” she told reporters at Bangkok’s Government House. “I’d like to reiterate that it’s always been my intention to do the best thing for my country.” –Agencies
