Protests in Bangkok, pressure grows on Paetongtarn Shinawatra to resign
The Thai prime minister finds herself in an increasingly unstable situation after she loses a coalition partner and pro-monarchy nationalists hold rallies following border tensions with Cambodia. A possible military coup hangs over the country, but the opposition urges the armed forces to avoid intervening.
Bangkok (AsiaNews) – As the position of Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra becomes increasingly tenuous, the country is getting ready for a period of political instability and growing pressure on the government.
Over the weekend, thousands of people took to the streets to protest the government after the release of an audio recording of a phone call between Ms Shinawatra and former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in which she complains about Thailand’s armed forces.
Tensions began with a border incident on 25 May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed, an event that rekindled territorial tensions and fuelled suspicions of a possible military coup in Thailand, officially "to restore peace and harmony", like in the past.
Those calling for Thailand’s military to act are mainly pro-monarchist nationalists, who gathered in their thousands on Saturday at the Victory Monument in Bangkok to demand the prime minister’s resignation and denounce the influence of the Shinawatra clan, led by a former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, father of the current prime minister.
Although pro-military MPs remain a clear minority in Parliament, the growing instability is fuelling discontent in the country of 70 million, where many are hoping for a quick end to the crisis.
Opposition leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, 38, has called on militants and supporters of the People's Party (Phak Prachachon) not to cross the "red line", a possible support for the military to re-enter political life.
This warning is particularly significant, considering that the forces that have now merged into the People's Party are the heirs of movements dissolved in the past due to court decisions or defections by allies.
According to a recent poll, Ruengpanyawut is now the most popular candidate for the post of prime minister, while Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is struggling after Bhumjaithai Party party quit her government, leaving Pheu Thai and minor allies with limited political room.
The upcoming political and economic challenges will be decisive for the government’s political survival and for the economy.
After Saturday's rally, the political crisis highlighted again the unresolved conflict between civilian power and military leadership, between extra-parliamentary forces and popular will.
This was already made clear following the elections two years ago, when the Move Forward party (now the People's Party) won but was prevented from governing.
The crisis with Cambodia further complicates the picture. After the border incident, Phnom Penh halted trade and issued a warning to its citizens, asking them to avoid travelling to Thailand. For its part, Thailand sealed the land border, causing serious inconvenience to those who had to return.
The situation remains delicate. Thailand’s armed forces, traditionally influential at home and regionally, are now involved in a crisis that also has personal and historical implications.
At the centre of the conflict are also the relations between Thaksin Shinawatra and Hun Sen, Cambodia's “strongman”, once an ally and business partner of his Thai counterpart.
This situation further undermines the legitimacy of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and strengthens those calling for her resignation.
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