A Thai minister accused of insulting the country’s revered king announced his resignation yesterday in an attempt to defuse political tension following coup rumors.
Rumors of a coup have circulated in Bangkok in recent days as the army and opposition parties escalated their verbal attacks on Jakrapob Penkair, a minister attached to the prime minister’s office accused of insulting King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
“The coup rumor has put a lot of pressure on the prime minister. It is a key factor of my resignation,” Jakrapob said in a press conference. “I hope the talk about a military coup will cease after I resign.”
The resignation came ahead of an anti-government rally planned for the evening. One of the protesters’ demands has been that some action be taken against Jakrapob.
The military has strong loyalties to the palace and has in the past used alleged attacks against the monarchy as a pretext to seize power in some of Thailand’s perennial coups.
“No soldier wants to stage a coup to topple the government but I cannot guarantee that there will be no more coup,” Supreme Military Commander General Boonsang Niempradit told reporters on Thursday, urging Jakrapob to resign.
The last coup occurred in 2006 following months of mass street protests against then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who went into exile but has since returned to fight corruption charges against him and his family.
Jakrapob, a close Thaksin ally, will be summoned to hear charges against him next week, police had earlier said. A police officer in March filed a complaint against Jakrapob, alleging that he had insulted the monarchy.
Police Lieutenant General Adisorn Nonsee said yesterday that authorities have “clear evidence that Jakrapob’s committed lese majeste” during a speech last August when he was part of a group opposed to the military-installed government then in power.
The lengthy speech was about the clash between democracy and what he called the “patronage system,” but police have declined to specify what part of the speech allegedly insulted the king.
Jakrapob became a Cabinet minister when an elected civilian government took power again in February. He has repeatedly denied the allegation and said he is the target of a conspiracy.
The charge of insulting the monarchy carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. The statute reflects the deep devotion almost all Thais hold for the monarchy. However, the charge is often used for political purposes as a way of smearing its targets, and relatively few cases come to court, with even fewer successfully prosecuted.
The resignation came ahead of another street protest yesterday by anti-government groups, led by the People’s Alliance for Democracy.
The group has demanded Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej’s government resign for allegedly trying to amend the Constitution for political gain.
The protesters have also heavily attacked Jakrapob for allegedly insulting the monarchy.
The demonstrators accuse Samak, widely seen as a proxy for Thaksin, of trying to change the military-backed Constitution as a way to hold onto power and to prevent Thaksin from facing justice.
Thaksin faces charges filed by special committees set up by the military after the coup.
Lawmakers from the core party of Samak’s coalition yesterday withdrew support for the motion now before both houses of parliament to amend the Constitution.
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