Thailand’s Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn has urged people not to worry about his surprise decision to delay being proclaimed king following the death of his father, said the country’s junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha, as his government sought to dispel any concern on royal succession and stressed it was working as normal.
“His Highness’s only wish is to not let the people experience confusion or worry about the service of the land or even the ascension to the throne because this issue has the constitution, the royal laws and royal traditions to dictate it,” General Prayuth, the Thai Prime Minister, said in a televised address late on Saturday (Oct 15), adding that the Crown Prince invited him and regent Prem Tinsulanonda for an audience earlier in the evening to discuss the situation “as his royal highness was deeply concerned for the Thai people during this time of national bereavement”.
Mr Prem heads the Privy Council, a body of advisers to the monarchy, and is known to be close to King Bhumibol’s highly popular daughter Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
He has been at the centre of Thailand’s treacherous politics for decades, first as general and then as a prime minister and even at 96, remains remarkably spry and a master political operator.
Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, who should have ascended the throne, has asked for more time to grieve along with the nation before taking over the monarchy. The constitution dictates that the Privy Council head be the regent in such a situation.
The prospect of complications in the succession could alarm financial markets, but the military government has been quick to quash any such speculation.
Gen Prayuth said on Saturday that the crown prince had said “at this time everyone is sad, he is still sad, so every should wait until we pass this sad time.”
“When the religious ceremony and funeral have passed for a while, then it will be an appropriate time to proceed (with the succession),” Gen Prayuth further quoted the Crown Prince as saying.
“This procedure should not impact the work plan or any steps. Everyone should take this time to keep the memories of the past 70 years.”
No date has been set for the cremation. Officials have suggested it would be at least a year. Buddhist funeral ceremonies have already begun at the Grand Palace complex in Bangkok’s historic centre where King Bhumibol’s body is kept in an ornate hall for the royal family members to pay respects. The hall will be opened to the public on Oct 28.
King Bhumibol has long been revered as a father figure and symbol of unity in a country riven by political crises over the years, most recently by a power struggle between the military-led establishment and populist political forces. Many Thais worry about a future without him.
Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn does not enjoy the same adoration his father earned over 70 years on the throne. He has married and divorced three times, and has spent much of his life outside Thailand, often in Germany.
Though the king designated his only son as his heir in 1972, shortly afterwards he also raised the possibility of the eligibility of a princess becoming the monarch.
Thailand’s strict lese-majeste laws, which have been applied rigorously since a military government took power in a 2014 coup, have left little room for public discussion about the succession.
Thai police on Sunday charged a woman with royal defamation after a mob demanded action over a Facebook post allegedly smearing the “heir and regent”.
The woman, who has not been named, was accused of posting a derogatory statement, according to Thewes Pleumsud of Bo Pud police in the southeastern island of Koh Samui, where an angry mob had descended earlier on Sunday demanding the woman be charged.
The crowd hurled insults at the woman, according to videos widely shared on Facebook.
Two other similar cases since the king’s death — in which angry crowds in Phuket and Phang Nga urged punishment for alleged royal defamation on social media — have raised fears of mob action.
Thailand’s three main mobile service providers said on Sunday customers should report “inappropriate content on the royal institution” on social media.
With the country facing a sensitive period, Gen Prayuth has promised to perform hus duties “with honesty and loyalty.”
Thai government spokesperson Lieutenant-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said on Sunday (SUN) that the government’s administration will continue seamlessly during the country’s mourning period.
A Cabinet meeting would go ahead as normal on Tuesday to discuss preparation for the king’s funeral.
“We can grief but must not forget our duties. We can feel sorrow but need to have hopes. We can be sad but must not lose love and faith towards our country,” Mr Sansern quoted Mr Prayuth as saying at a meeting on Sunday.
Source: TODAY Online
