In a rare public interview, the king of Thailand said that his country is “a place of compromise. Protests in Thailand have been ongoing for months, calling for greater political and social reform, including reform of the monarchy itself.
After presiding over a religious ceremony outside Bangkok’s Grand Palace, King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida walked among dozens of royal supporters on Sunday and made the remarks to a reporter from Britain’s Channel 4 News in response to a question from the reporter about whether the Thai king would compromise on protesters’ demands to reduce the monarchy’s influence.
When asked what he would say to the protesters, King Wajiratrongkorn repeated twice, “We love them all the same.
The massive protests in Bangkok, which have been going on for weeks, began with demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Bayard. Bayon, a former army general, came to power after overthrowing a democratically elected government in a 2014 coup. Last year, he won the election and became prime minister, but demonstrators say the election was rigged in his favor because the law was drafted by the military.
But the demonstrations have also evolved to include demands for reform of Thailand’s monarchy, which retains a sacred status among the country’s elite and is strongly supported by the military. Protesters have even openly criticized the monarchy and have gone so far as to violate the draconian “crime of disrespect” law. The “crime of disrespect” imposes prison sentences on anyone who insults the king and other members of the royal family.
Protesters marched to the German embassy last week, demanding that the German government investigate whether King Maha Chulalongkorn handled state affairs during his extended stay in Germany and that its tax records be investigated.
The king himself has consolidated his power by controlling some of the military, as well as the billions of dollars owned by the palace.
Recent Comments