According to media outlets such as Reuters, on July 1, the Thai Constitutional Court decided to accept a petition submitted by 36 lawmakers to impeach Prime Minister Paetongtarn. During the trial of the case, Paetongtarn will be suspended from office.
The report said that these 36 lawmakers accused Paetongtarn of being "dishonest and violating moral standards," violating the constitution, and having inappropriate conversations with former Cambodian Prime Minister and current Senate Chairman Hun Sen. During Paetongtarn's suspension, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Prawit will take over the role of Prime Minister. However, after the government reshuffle, Paetongtarn will still serve as the Minister of Culture.
Suriya Juangroongruangkit, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, is expected to become the acting prime minister of the caretaker government. Thai Newsroom
The Thai government has not yet responded to the suspension of Paetongtarn. Reuters analyzed that Paetongtarn, who has been in power for only 10 months, has fallen into a political crisis, highlighting the decline of the Puea Chat Party and the Shinawatra family to which Paetongtarn belongs.
While Paetongtarn is under judicial review, her father, the influential former Prime Minister Thaksin, will also face pressure from the court. He was previously sentenced to prison for three corruption charges, later received a royal pardon, his sentence was reduced to one year, and he was released on parole on February 18, 2024. Analysts suggest that Thaksin may be sent back to prison.
On July 1, Paetongtarn arrived at the government building and prepared to attend a cabinet meeting. AFP
On May 28, Thai and Cambodian soldiers had a short-term clash at the border, resulting in the death of a Cambodian soldier. The tensions between Thailand and Cambodia thus escalated. On June 18, some media released a recording of a conversation between Paetongtarn and Hun Sen. In the recording, Paetongtarn requested Hun Sen to mediate the tense relations between the two countries. Hun Sen later confirmed the authenticity of the call on social media and released the full version of the recording.
In the full recording, Paetongtarn even called Hun Sen "uncle" and asked him to understand the huge pressure faced by the Thai authorities. Paetongtarn also referred to a Thai army commander as a "madman" and an "enemy of the government." After this incident was exposed, the Thai public was shocked, and many people said that Paetongtarn's remarks were a "betrayal of the country." Although Paetongtarn insisted that her statements during the call were a "negotiation strategy," it is clear that the tensions between Thailand and Cambodia were not resolved, and Paetongtarn herself fell into a political crisis.
After the recording controversy, on June 19, the Political Ethics Committee of the Thai Upper House announced that it would submit a petition to remove Paetongtarn, citing her improper handling of the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute. On June 20, the President of the Thai Upper House, Mongkol Ratsamee, submitted a request to the Thai Anti-Corruption Commission and the Constitutional Court to impeach Prime Minister Paetongtarn, citing the same reasons that Paetongtarn's conversation with Hun Sen violated the constitution and moral standards.
Outside the recording controversy, Thailand's recent economic situation has also been very bleak. With multiple factors overlapping, Paetongtarn's approval rating has dropped sharply. According to a survey conducted in mid-June, Reuters cited data showing that Paetongtarn's approval rating had dropped from 30.9% in March to 9.2%.
On June 30, Paetongtarn responded to the impeachment case, saying that she indeed worried about the impeachment issue, but she needed to focus on government work first. According to Inquirer news, after confirming her suspension by the Thai Constitutional Court, Paetongtarn said that she accepted the decision of the Constitutional Court and "apologized to the Thai people who were disturbed by this matter." Paetongtarn told the media at the Prime Minister's Office, "As a Thai citizen, I will continue to work for the country."
Regarding the suspension of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said at a regular press conference on July 1, "This is an internal affair of Thailand, and I do not make comments." Mao Ning said that as a friendly neighboring country, they hope Thailand maintains stability and development.
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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7522014090815914534/
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