Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra ousted by Constitutional Court, collapsing Pheu Thai government after leaked call with Cambodian strongman Hun Sen sparks outrage among conservatives, who accuse her of showing deference and undermining national interests.
The Thai Constitutional Court on Friday struck down Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, toppling her and collapsing the Pheu Thai-led government in one sweeping move. News is still coming in, with updates unfolding rapidly.
Thailand’s Constitutional Court began reading the judgment at 3 p.m., with each judge saying his piece. The case revolved around a taped phone call between Prime Minister Paetongtarn and Cambodian strongman Hun Sen on June 15th last year.
The vote by the court was 6-3 in favor of removing the Prime Minister. She becomes the sixth government leader to be removed in twenty years by undemocratic means, either through coups d’état or court judgments.
In the call, the PM appears to show deference to the Cambodian leader, who has ruled the eastern kingdom for 40 years. She referred to him as ‘Uncle,’ a term of endearment in Thailand for the elderly.
Thai PM shows deference to long-ruling Cambodian leader in a private call scrutinised by political observers.
Afterwards, she appeared to speak in personal terms about the 2nd Army commander, Lieutenant General Boonsin Padklang, who has taken a tough line with Cambodia. In particular, he closed border points. Indeed, this was the focus of Hun Sen’s message: he wanted the Thai-Cambodian border reopened.
Ms. Paetongtarn said he would take care of it and get back to him.
Three days later, the Cambodian side leaked the call. It immediately caused anger in Thailand, particularly among arch-conservatives who have been hyping the conflict and portraying the Royal Thai Army as the country’s most trusted force in its conduct with Cambodia.
Leak of phone call sparks outrage in Thailand among conservatives praising the Royal Thai Army
However, despite academia nearly universally believing Prime Minister Paetongtarn would be removed, a different perspective emerged in recent weeks.
Pheu Thai increasingly confident that PM Paetongtarn can survive her Constitutional Court survival test
Prime Minister Paetongtarn faces her fate as she files closing argument and will be in court on Friday
The Prime Minister herself explained it before the Constitutional Court and in her closing arguments. In short, she was using diplomatic tactics in what should have been a private phone call to steer the two countries away from conflict and bloodshed.
On Friday, the judges rejected this argument out of hand. The court interpreted the call as a personal one between the two leaders.
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Further reading:
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra a no-show at cabinet and an appointment with Pheu Thai MPs
