Thai court suspends Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra over a leaked phone call

Thailand’s Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office pending an investigation over a leaked phone call with a former 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.

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 over the border dispute set off a string of complaints and public protests.

Paetongtarn said Monday she would accept and follow the court process although she didn’t want to see her work interrupted. “If you ask me whether I’m worried, I am,” she told reporters.

Earlier Tuesday, King Maha Vajiralongkorn had endorsed a Cabinet reshuffle forced when a major party left Paetongtarn’s coalition government over the leaked phone call.

The reshuffle replaced former Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, which had held several Cabinet positions in her government.

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.

Outrage over the call mostly revolved around Paetongtarn’s comments toward an outspoken regional army commander and her perceived attempts to appease Cambodian Senate President 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.

Source: AP
--Agencies