Thailand’s prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is facing mounting pressure to resign after a leaked audio recording of her phone call blaming her own military for the dispute with Cambodia set off a huge political row.
The leaked phone recording on Wednesday sparked public anger and pushed the coalition government to the brink of collapse as the second-largest party in her government quit the coalition.
A part of the 17-minute private conversation between Ms Paetongtarn and Hun Sen, the former prime minister of Cambodia and the father of the current leader, was leaked on Sunday after the Cambodian leader shared it with 80 politicians.
Mr Hun Sen then took to Facebook on Wednesday to share the whole 17-minute conversation "to avoid any misunderstanding or misrepresentation in official matters”.
During the call, Ms Paetongtarn was heard calling Mr Hun Sen "uncle" as they discussed through translators whether they should lift border restrictions imposed after the deadly clash.
She also requested him to ignore “the opposite side”, a reference she apparently made to the Thai military. She said they were trying to look “cool” by making statements that were not in the interest of anyone.
“Tell him that actually if he wants something, he can say it and we will arrange it for him,” Ms Paetongtarn told the Thai interpreter to tell Mr Hun Sen.
Her call came after a border dispute involving an armed confrontation 28 May in a relatively small "no man's land" both countries claim, in which one Cambodian soldier was killed.
On Thursday, dozens of nationalist protesters gathered around the Government House, raising Thai national flags and signs calling for Ms Paetongtarn to resign.
Ms Shinawatra on Thursday apologised for the phone conversation. She said the call was made from her personal phone and she did not know the conversation would be recorded and made public. She said the government was ready to support the country's military in all ways.
Ms Paetongtarm defended her “sympathetic remarks and softer tone” during the phone call as part of a negotiation strategy to ease border tensions.
“It was just a negotiation technique. I was conducting myself with the purpose of maintaining peace and our sovereignty,” Ms Paetongtarn said. “It’s clear now that his true desire is to win popularity in his country without caring about the impact on bilateral relations.”
However, she added she would no longer engage in a private talk with Mr Hun Sen as she could not trust him.
"It's now clear that all that he cares about is his popularity in the country, without considering impacts on relations with other countries," she said.
Critics and lawmakers, both in her coalition and in the opposition party in Thailand, have particularly lambasted the prime minister for referring to him as “uncle” as an effort to please Mr Hun Sen and said it made Thailand look weak.
The discussion has emerged as the latest flashpoint in the mounting discontent with Ms Paetongtarn’s administration and her powerful family. She is the youngest daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a dominant figure in Thai politics for over 20 years.
However, her subsequent apology and explanation have done little to calm public anger.
Hours after the leak, the Bhumjaithai party, the biggest partner in Ms Paetongtarn's ruling coalition, decided to part ways with the coalition because of the leaked phone call.
The party's statement said the recording "posed an impact on Thailand's sovereignty, territory, interests and the army".
The party called for Mr Paetongtarn to take responsibility for causing Thailand to suffer a loss of national dignity, honour, and the esteem of the people and the military.”
The departure of Bhumjaithai left the 10-party coalition with 255 seats, just above the majority of the 500-seat house.
Opposition leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut of the People's Party on Thursday called for Ms Paetongtarn to dissolve Parliament and hold a new election. He said the leaked phone call was "the last straw" that destroyed people's faith in her administration.
The Shinawatras and Cambodia's Hun have a longstanding friendship. Her father, Mr Thaksin and Mr Hun Sen reportedly regard each other as "godbrothers."
Some senators said they will file a motion to impeach her, and several other individuals also filed complaints over the matter with law enforcement agencies.
Ms Paetongtarn's comments for the country’s military leadership have also raised fears of a potential military coup in a country that has a long history of military rule.
Her father was ousted in a coup in 2006, and Thaksin's sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, became prime minister in 2011 and was ousted by a military coup in 2014.
The army said in a statement Thursday that it would like the people to "maintain confidence in the Royal Thai Army's steadfast commitment to the constitutional monarchy and its readiness to execute its constitutional mandate of protecting national sovereignty through established legal frameworks and institutional mechanisms."
