Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s coalition government is on the brink of collapse after a leaked phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen about a festering border dispute sparked public anger and prompted a key coalition partner to quit. In the call, Paetongtarn addressed Hun Sen, a family friend and senior politician in the South East Asian region, as “uncle” and appeared to dismiss a Thai military commander.
The leak provoked widespread criticism, with many taking issue with Paetongtarn’s apparent deference to Hun Sen and her comments about the Thai military commander. “I would like to apologise for the leaked audio of my conversation with a Cambodian leader which has caused public resentment,” Paetongtarn said Thursday, as the pressure on her intensified.
Bhumjaithai, the second-largest party in Paetongtarn’s ruling coalition, quit the alliance on Wednesday, dealing a major blow to her Pheu Thai party’s position in parliament. Paetongtarn’s coalition now holds a slim majority, which will be lost if more of its partners decide to leave. Two other coalition partners will meet later on Thursday to discuss the situation.
The Thai leader defended the call as a “negotiation technique” but opposition figures have called on her to resign. Hun Sen said he had shared the audio clip with 80 politicians and one of them leaked it. He later shared the entire 17-minute recording on his Facebook page.
In a letter to the Cambodian ambassador, Thailand’s foreign ministry said it was “deeply disappointed” over the leak of a “private telephone conversation”. “Trust and respect between the two leaders are fundamental to good neighbourliness and conduct among states,” the letter read. It also said the leak “will severely affect ongoing efforts for both sides to resolve the problem in good faith”.
Paetongtarn has said that she would no longer engage in private talks with the Cambodian leader. The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia dates back to more than a century, when the borders were drawn after the French occupation of Cambodia. Tensions at the border ramped up in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash, prompting both countries to impose border restrictions on each other.