BANGKOK (AP) – Thai Prime Minister survived a censure vote in parliament on Saturday amid allegations that his government mismanaged the economy, abused the supply of COVID-19 vaccines, abused human rights and encouraged corruption. Nine other ministers also survived the vote.
It was the second test of confidence that the government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has faced since taking office in July 2019, after a disputed election after Prayuth took power in a coup. state of 2014 as head of the army. In February last year, he and five cabinet ministers easily defeated a censure vote in the lower house.
In the latest motion, the Prayuth government was also criticized for misusing its power to promote police officers and to establish a cyber unit to attack government critics on social media, among other complaints.
But a more serious claim was that Prayuth has delved into the divisions of society by using the monarchy as a shield against criticism of his government.
A student-led protest movement has been campaigning since last year for Prayuth and his government to cease. They want the constitution to be amended to make it more democratic and the monarchy to be reformed to make it more accountable.
“Prayuth’s biggest fault is that he doesn’t understand the principles of the constitutional monarchy,” said Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the opposition Move Forward Party.
“He used the monarchy to protect himself whenever he was criticized or opposed. It is an evil action that makes him no longer qualified to be prime minister,” he said.
His indictment concerns the application of Article 112 of the Penal Code, also known as the Law on Major Injuries. Prayuth said in June last year that King Maha Vajiralongkorn had expressed his desire that the government not use the anti-defamation law of the monarchy to prosecute pro-democracy protesters.
Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, a popular politician who was forced to leave parliament last year, was charged last month with major injury for alleging that the government’s hiring of COVID-19 vaccines was late and inadequate and that there was a possible favoritism in the award of the main contract.
Criticisms refer to the monarchy because most of the vaccines Thailand has ordered must be produced by Siam Bioscience, a private Thai company owned by the king.
The monarchy is widely regarded as an untouchable rock of Thai nationalism.
The law of leses majesties allows anyone to file a complaint with the police, with sentences of up to 15 years in prison for crime. According to Thai human rights lawyers, at least 59 people, including several minors, were summoned by law between November and February.
Four well-known protesters, including human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa, student leader Parit Chiwarak and political activists Somyos Prueksakasemsuk and Patiwat Saraiyaem, were prosecuted under the law and charged with sedition earlier this month. Her lawyer asked for bail, but the court denied her.
Prayuth said the debate in parliament was “a good opportunity for both sides to do something together for our country and our people. And I am willing to clarify all the allegations.”
Of the 487 lawmakers, 277 are part of the ruling coalition and 210 are from the opposition. The motion of censure would have required a simple majority, or 244 votes, to approve it. Prayuth received 272 votes, with 206 votes of confidence and three in silence.
On Saturday evening, about 1,000 protesters staged a rally in front of the door of the parliament building, where speakers took turns denouncing the results of the vote, saying they were organizing their own version of the censorship debate. Some attendees had posters criticizing the government and the monarchy.
“We knew what the outcome of the vote would be, but we are not upset because at least the opposition parties had the opportunity to expose the government’s wrongdoings so that the whole country knows the truth,” said Jaruwan Bungasaree, of 68 years old protester.
“They spoke out against corruption and did a good job,” he added.
Police said earlier that they would deploy more than 10,000 officers to Bangkok over the weekend to control the crowds and maintain law and order. Police vehicles, including water cannon trucks, were sent near the parliament building.
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Associated Press writer Bill Bredesen contributed to this report.