Thailand: justice keeps the Prime Minister in power and the protest continues

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was accused by the opposition of having continued to occupy housing reserved for senior military officers despite his official departure from the army at the end of 2014. But the Constitutional Court ruled that he could continue to occupy this accommodation as a former general.

REUTERS / Athit Perawongmetha

Text by: Carol Isoux

2 min

In Thailand, the Constitutional Court has ruled: Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, whose student movement has been demanding the departure for months, may remain in power.

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With our correspondent in Bangkok

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Prayuth Chan-ocha was accused by the opposition of having continued to occupy housing reserved for senior military officers despite his official departure from the army at the end of 2014. A few months earlier,

Prayuth Chan-ocha

had come to power by a coup of state as general of the armies, but he later founded a political party and therefore joined the ranks of civilians.

The opposition was therefore crying out for an ethical breach, but the Court decided that he could continue to occupy this accommodation as a former general. 

The crime was never taken seriously by the general public, but many in Thailand hoped that an unfavorable court ruling would allow a timely exit from the crisis.

For months, demonstrators have occupied the streets of Bangkok several nights a week to demand the departure of the Prime Minister, an overhaul of the Constitution and a reform of the monarchy.

We must therefore not count on a judicial resolution to the crisis.

This Wednesday evening, demonstrators gathered at one of the capital's main intersections to express their disappointment.

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To listen: The Thai monarchy challenged by the country's youth

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  • Thailand

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