Thailand hits out at 'false' foreign reports following death of king
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Version 0 of 1. Thailand has said it will inform the world about the royal succession following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej after “false” foreign media coverage created misunderstanding and hurt the feelings of its people. The death of the revered king on 13 October after seven decades on the throne plunged the country into mourning and heightened sensitivity about the monarchy. The government has said Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will succeed his father after an unspecified period of mourning. The prince’s formal coronation will take place after the king’s cremation and following a year-long official mourning period. The 96-year-old president of the royal privy council, Prem Tinsulanonda, has been made regent during the interregnum. The delay in the prince becoming king has raised speculation among Thailand scholars and analysts that the succession may not be as smooth as the government is saying. The prince has made no public statement since the death of his father but has paid homage every day at Bangkok’s Grand Palace where the late king is lying in state. The foreign ministry did not refer to specific news reports or outlets but said stories had created misunderstanding and it wanted to “prevent further false coverage”. “We have instructed our ambassadors, consulates and representatives around the world to inform relevant state agencies and governments regarding the succession and that it is proceeding according to the constitution and royal laws and traditions.” Insulting the monarch, the regent or the heir is a crime in Thailand that carries a jail sentence of up to 15 years for each offence. The junta has stepped up prosecution of lèse majesté cases since the king died, with police investigating 12 cases. Bhumibol, who was the world’s longest-reigning monarch, was revered as a father figure and symbol of unity in a country riven by political crises over the years, most recently by a struggle between the military-led establishment and populist political forces. Many Thais worry about a future without him. People are dressing in black around the country and huge numbers have streamed to the Grand Palace to pay their respects. Prince Vajiralongkorn does not enjoy the same adoration his father earned over a lifetime on the throne. He has married and divorced three times, and has spent much of his life outside Thailand, often in Germany. Though the king designated his only son crown prince in 1972, shortly afterwards he also raised the possibility of the eligibility of a princess becoming the monarch. |