BANGKOK, Thailand: Thailand’s suspended prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, testified on Thursday in a high-stakes case that could see her removed from office over her handling of a border dispute with Cambodia.
The Constitutional Court, which suspended her last month and has barred reporting on her testimony, will rule next Friday – a decision that could deepen Thailand’s long-running political turmoil.
Paetongtarn, daughter of billionaire ex-premier, Thaksin Shinawatra, is accused of breaching constitutional requirements for “evident integrity” by failing to defend Thailand’s interests during a June phone call with former Cambodian leader, Hun Sen.
In the leaked audio, she referred to Hun Sen as “uncle” and called a Thai military commander her “opponent”, remarks that enraged conservatives and the powerful military.
The backlash nearly toppled her government when a key coalition partner withdrew support.
Senators later petitioned the court to remove her, saying her words undermined national security and disrespected the armed forces.
Acting Prime Minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, however, has defended Paetongtarn, saying she acted in good faith.
The controversy has strained Thai-Cambodian relations.
The border dispute escalated into the most violent clashes in decades, leaving more than 40 dead and displacing some 300,000 civilians.
Hun Sen released the call in full, intensifying public anger in Thailand and fueling accusations that Paetongtarn was too conciliatory.
If the court rules against her, Paetongtarn would become the third Shinawatra to be ousted as premier, following her father, Thaksin, and aunt, Yingluck, both deposed in military coups.
The case underscores a 20-year struggle between the pro-military royalist elite and the Shinawatra family, whose populist influence is seen as a threat to Thailand’s traditional power structure.
Adding to the political drama, Thaksin, 76, faces a separate verdict Friday in a lese-majeste case over a decade-old interview that could carry a 15-year prison sentence. – AFP
