Thai court removes PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office

Thailand’s Constitutional Court has removed suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office after finding her guilty of ethical misconduct over a controversial phone call with Cambodia’s former leader, Hun Sen.

The ruling on Friday makes Paetongtarn the fifth prime minister to be stripped of office by Thai judges since 2008, and plunges the kingdom into political uncertainty and potentially a snap election.

The nine-judge court, seen as tools of Thailand’s royalist military establishment, ruled that the 39-year-old politician had “seriously violated” the ethical standards required of a prime minister when she spoke to Hun Sen during an escalating border conflict between the two countries.

In the leaked conversation, Paetongtarn was heard pandering to Hun Sen and calling him “uncle”, while criticising a senior Thai army commander as an “opponent”.

The border dispute later spiralled into armed clashes that left dozens dead and tens of thousands displaced on both sides.

The court – which had previously suspended Paetongtarn pending trial – said the politician had put her personal interests over those of the nation during her conversation with Hun Sen, fuelling a loss of public trust and confidence in her leadership.

Therefore, the court by “a majority vote (6 to 3) rules that [Paetongtarn’s] ministership has individually terminated,” effective immediately, it said.

Speaking to reporters after the verdict, Paetongtarn insisted that she had tried to safeguard the country’s interests and called for political unity.

“My intentions were for the benefit of the country, not for personal gain, but for the lives of the people, including civilians and soldiers,” she said.

“In a time like this, everyone must come together to contribute to our nation’s stability.”

Source: Al Jazeera