“The
Crown Prince, because he will be new, may not be as popular as His Majesty the
King. However, he will have less problem because the palace circle will be
smaller, because of being new in the reign… He's not the King yet, he may not
be shining. But after he becomes the King I'm confident he can be shining to
perform Kingship... It's not his time yet. But when the time comes I think he
will be able to perform… Yes, yes [The royal institution needs reform].”
Thaksin Shinawatra, November, 2009, Interview with The Times.
“We’ve
seen pictures of his previous wives and girlfriends put out on the internet
nude, they’re pictures taken of them nude in the palace. How they leaked out
was another issue. Some macho people, some Thai guys might think it’s cool, it
shows he’s a king who commands, who has a harem and things like that, but for
the most part, a prince is someone in the royal family who must protect the
institution of the monarchy, they must build it, they must keep its image
strong, and this does nothing but make it a point of ridicule.”
Author of “The King Never Smiles” Paul M Handley, 14 April 2010,
ABC Foreign Correspondents
Though each
opposing side in Thailand speaks of a noble cause of democracy for their infighting,
their fundamental drive is to control the next monarch. The revered King
Bhumibol Adulyadej is frail and ailing; and the question of a suitable
successor has been lingering and underlining an unspoken war over the royal
succession waged by competing factions of the Thai elite for years.
At the Yellow corner is a group Thaksin refers to as palace
circle dominated by three former prime ministers: General Prem Tinsulanonda,
Anand Panyarachun, and Air Chief Marshall Siddhi Savetsila. Prem is president of
the 18 member Privy Council that the 2007 constitution gives many roles and
powers associated with issues surrounding the monarchy. The trio, who are closest to the palace, revile Crown
Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn’s lifestyle, unfit to be revered; they dread the
day the crown prince becomes king. Anand reports in 2009 a consensus among many
Thais that the crown prince could not stop, nor would he be able to rectify,
his misbehaviour. Siddhi tells US ambassador Eric John almost hopefully in
2010, “if the crown prince were to die, anything could happen, and maybe
Prathep [Princess Sirindhorn] could succeed.”
Another
group of ex-prime ministers led by Thaksin Shinawatra are at the Red corner.
They look forward to Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn taking over the reign. Privy councillor Siddhi speculates that Vajiralongkorn would be ready to welcome
fugitive and self-exiled Thaksin back to Thailand once he becomes king.
Both sides
are fighting for the control of the parliament that has the constitutional
power to proclaim King Bhumibol’s successor. Previous four general elections in
2001, 2005, 2007, and 2011 give Thaksin and his political proxies easy
victories in parliament. Shinawatra’s populist policies continue to galvanise
solid support among the rural poor.
The seemingly
unstoppable rise and rise of the Shinawatras’ political force and influence has
caused an uncontrollable anxiety within the palace circle. Since 2005, all
political sabotages have failed to the curb the Shinawatra’s clout, and derail
the royal succession. These include coup d’etats the palace supports; former
prime minister Samak Sundaravej complains to Ambassador John that Queen Sirikit
encourages the 2006 coup d’etat.
These
successive failed attempts to command the parliament have sent the palace
circle into a full-blown panic mode. Now that they have instigated a fresh coup
d’etat to give them a temporary reprieve, perhaps it is time they consulted Hun
Sen on how to organise an election that guarantees desirable outcomes. Or they
may just proceed to proclaim Princess Sirindhorn as Queen after the king dies.
It is unlikely, though, the Thaksin group will allow this to happen.
There is just
too much at stake. The trophy prize of this prolonged antagonism is the role of
a kingmaker controlling the vast royal fortune estimated at more than $37
billion. The victor will potentially be able to dominate Thailand politically
and economically for years to come. That is why the infighting must be so
bitter, vicious, and protracting in the foreseeable future.
Ung Bun Ang
01vi14
No comments:
Post a Comment