Thailand unites for king’s birthday
Print Edition
Thailand put politics aside yesterday to celebrate the 86th birthday of the country’s revered monarch, who used his annual birthday speech to call for stability but made no direct reference to the crisis dividing the nation.
Violence and street battles between anti-government protesters and police were put on hold as both sides observed a truce to mark the birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has often served as a unifying figure for Thailand in times of crisis.
Crowds dressed in the royal color of yellow lined the roads in the seaside town of Hua Hin to catch a glimpse of the world’s longest reigning monarch. They shouted “Long live the king!” as his motorcade drove slowly to Klai Kangwon Palace, which literally means “Far From Worries.”
Onlookers wept as the king spoke, taking great effort and pausing for long stretches during his brief 5-minute speech. He thanked the people for coming together “in good will” to wish him well.
“Our country has long experienced happiness because we have been united in performing our duties and working together for the good of the whole country,” the king said. He wore a ceremonial golden robe and sat on a throne before an audience that included Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her Cabinet ministers, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and his three sisters, and the leaders of the armed forces.
“All Thais should consider this very much and focus on doing their duties... which are the security and stability of the country,” he said.
Moral authority
As a constitutional monarch, the king has no official political role, but no other figure commands the same moral authority or the same loyalty from the armed forces in the coup-prone country.
Many people were hopeful the king would step in — as he has done in the past — to ease the current standoff, which results from years of enmity between supporters and opponents of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin was deposed by a 2006 military coup after being accused of corruption and disrespect for the king.
However, the king is a less vigorous figure than he used to be. His infrequent public appearances are poignant, since he is visibly infirm with age and uses a wheelchair. In July, he ended a nearly four-year hospital stay — initially for treatment of a lung infection — to live in the seaside palace.
It was clear the king’s words had done little to heal the country’s bitter divide.
At Democracy Monument in Bangkok, one of the main anti-government rally sites, hundreds of people gathered to show respect for the king, but when images of Yingluck appeared on screens the crowd booed and many shouted obscenities. At the protest headquarters, the movement’s leader, Suthep Thaugsuban, said the truce would end today.
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