Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra Suspended Amid Cambodia Dispute

Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended. The country’s Constitutional Court made the decision after starting an investigation into her conduct related to a diplomatic dispute with Cambodia.

A long-standing border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia turned into a cross-border clash in May, which resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier. To discuss the ongoing tension, Prime Minister Shinawatra made a phone call to Cambodia’s former leader, Hun Sen. In that call, she addressed Hun Sen as “uncle” and referred to a Thai military commander as her “rival.” The audio of this conversation was made public.

Conservative Thai lawmakers criticized the call, accusing the Prime Minister of bowing to Cambodia and weakening Thailand’s military position. Following these allegations, the issue was taken to the Constitutional Court. The court has suspended Shinawatra from her duties as Prime Minister starting today, until a final decision is made, according to BBC.

Thai politics has for years been dominated by a struggle between conservative, military-backed, royalist elites and the Shinawatra family. These elites consider the Shinawatra family a threat to Thailand’s traditional social structure.

Paetongtarn’s suspension came on the same day her father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, had to appear in criminal court over charges of insulting the monarchy.