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Thai PM Paetongtarn faces calls to quit after leaked phone call Thai PM Paetongtarn faces calls to quit after leaked phone call
(about 2 hours later)
In a phone call with Cambodian strongman Hun Sen, Paetongtarn Shinawatra told him to ignore Thailand's military amid a border dispute Paetongtarn Shinawatra's coalition is now left with a slim majority in parliament
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's coalition government is on the brink of collapse after a leaked phone call between her and Cambodia's strongman ex-leader Hun Sen. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's coalition government is on the brink of collapse after her phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen about a festering border dispute was leaked.
They were discussing a border dispute that has ramped up tensions between the two neighbours in recent weeks after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash in May. The leak provoked public anger and prompted a key coalition partner of the 38-year-old Paetongtarn's Peu Thai party to quit.
Paetongtarn appeared to dismiss a Thai military commander in the 17-minute call shared by Hun Sen on Facebook on Wednesday. She said the officer "just wanted to look cool and said things that are not useful". In the call, she addressed Hun Sen, a family friend and senior politician in the South East Asian region, as "uncle" and appeared to dismiss a Thai military commander.
She defended the call as a "negotiation technique" but opposition figures are calling for her to resign, saying she has undermined the Thai army. "I would like to apologise for the leaked audio of my conversation with a Cambodian leader which has caused public resentment," Paetongtarn said Thursday, as the pressure on her intensified.
Bhumjaithai, the second-largest party in her ruling coalition, quit the alliance on Wednesday after the leaked phone call, dealing a major blow to her Pheu Thai party's position in parliament. Bhumjaithai, the second-largest party in Paetongtarn's ruling coalition, quit the alliance on Wednesday, dealing a major blow to her Pheu Thai party's position in parliament.
The coalition now holds a slim parliamentary majority - which will be lost if more of its partners decide to leave. Paetongtarn's coalition now holds a slim majority - which will be lost if more of its partners decide to leave. Two other coalition partners will meet later on Thursday to discuss the situation.
Two other parties in Pheu Thai's coalition are set to hold meetings on Thursday to discuss the situation. Critics took issue with Paetongtarn's apparent deference to Hun Sen when she addressed him as "uncle" and promised to "take care" of his needs.
The Shinawatras' friendship with Cambodia's Hun family goes back decades, with Hun Sen and former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin - Paetongtarn's father - known to consider each other "godbrothers". They also accused Paetongtarn of undermining the country's politically influential army. She had told Hun Sen in the call that a Thai military commander handling the most recent flare-up of border tensions "just wanted to look cool and said things that are not useful".
Earlier this month, Paetongtarn said the close ties between the two political clans did not stand in the way of her defending Thailand's interests. The Shinawatras' friendship with Cambodia's Hun family goes back decades. Hun Sen and Paetongtarn's father, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, consider each other "godbrothers".
But critics have taken issue with her apparent deference during her call with Hun Sen, in which she addressed him as "uncle" and promised to "take care" of his needs. The Thai leader defended the call as a "negotiation technique" but opposition figures have called on her to resign.
Paetongtarn has said that she would no longer engage in private talks with the Cambodia leader. Hun Sen said he had shared the audio clip with 80 politicians and one of them leaked it. He later shared the entire 17-minute recording on his Facebook page.
Hun Sen said he had shared the audio clip with 80 politicians and one of them leaked it. In a letter to the Cambodian ambassador, Thailand's foreign ministry said it was "deeply disappointed" over the leak of a "private telephone conversation".
The border dispute has sent bilateral ties have plunging to their lowest in more than a decade. "Trust and respect between the two leaders are fundamental to good neighbourliness and conduct among states," the letter read.
Cambodia has banned a range of imports from Thailand, ranging from fruit and vegetables to electricity and internet. It also banned Thai dramas from TV and cinemas as a result of the border dispute. It also said the leak "will severely affect ongoing efforts for both sides to resolve the problem in good faith".
Paetongtarn has said that she would no longer engage in private talks with the Cambodian leader.
Tensions at the border ramped up in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash. This plunged bilateral ties to their lowest in more than a decade.
Cambodia has banned imports from Thailand, ranging from fruit and vegetables to electricity and internet. It also banned Thai dramas from TV and cinemas as a result of the border dispute.
Both countries have imposed border restrictions on each other.Both countries have imposed border restrictions on each other.
The dispute between them dates back to more than a century, when the borders were drawn after the French occupation of Cambodia.The dispute between them dates back to more than a century, when the borders were drawn after the French occupation of Cambodia.
Tensions have flared up on a handful of occasions in the past. And in May this year, troops from both countries briefly exchanged fire at a contested part of the border, leading to the death of a Cambodia soldier. Both countries have blamed each other for the incident, claiming self-defence.