Following the release of a phone conversation she had with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen, thousands of demonstrators have assembled in Bangkok, Thailand, demanding that Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra quit.
She referred to Hun Sen as “uncle” during the call, which was about a recent incident on their border, and said that the Thai military officer in charge of the conflict “just wanted to look cool and said things that are not useful.”
A major ally in her ruling coalition resigned as a result of the call, which infuriated the populace. Although Paetongtarn expressed regret, he justified the call as a “negotiation technique” Paetongtarn told reporters that the people had the “right to protest, as long as it’s peaceful” before departing for northern Thailand, which is ravaged by flooding.
The gathering on Saturday was the biggest since the Pheu Thai party took office in 2023.
At the Victory Monument war memorial in Bangkok, thousands of people braved the monsoon downpour to block the roadways while holding banners with statements like “PM is enemy of state” and waving Thai flags. The prime minister “should step aside because she is the problem,” according to protest organiser Parnthep Pourpongpan.
To participate in the demonstration, 70-year-old Seri Sawangmue went overnight by bus from the northern part of the nation. He claimed to be there “to protect Thailand’s sovereignty and to say the PM is unfit,” according to the AFP news agency.
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