Thailand's Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama talks to media during a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand, on Thursday, July 10, 2008. (Photo courtesy: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
My sinchew.com
2008-07-10
BANGKOK, THAILAND: Thailand's foreign minister resigned Thursday (10 July) after being accused of jeopardizing the country's claims to land near an ancient Cambodian temple, as a raft of court cases and street protests continued to batter the five-month-old government.
"Even though I did not do anything wrong, I would like to show responsibility by resigning," Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama said.
The resignation takes effect 14 July.
The Thai Constitutional Court ruled Tuesday (8 July) that Noppadon acted unconstitutionally when he endorsed Cambodia's application to have the Preah Vihear temple registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site without first consulting Parliament on the matter. Critics fear the endorsement undermines Thailand's claim to land near the temple, which is on the Thai-Cambodian border.
Shortly before his announcement, the main opposition Democrat Party submitted an impeachment motion against Noppadon before the upper house of Parliament, the Senate.
Several high-profile court rulings this week have targeted top officials in the government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.
The Constitutional Court disqualified Public Health Minister Chiya Sasonsup from office Wednesday for violating asset disclosure rules by failing to fully declare his wife's shareholdings.
In another case, the Supreme Court issued an arrest warrant Wednesday for Wattana Asavahame, chairman of one of the coalition parties, after he failed to appear in court to hear a verdict on corruption charges against him over a water treatment project.
The announcement of the verdict was rescheduled for 18 Aug, the court said. If convicted, Wattana faces up to 10 years in jail.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court banned a former parliamentary speaker from politics for five years for electoral fraud. The verdict could lead to the eventual dissolution of the People's Power Party if the Constitutional Court decides that Yongyuth Tiyapairat committed the fraud to benefit his party.
Demonstrators have disrupted traffic in pockets of the capital daily since May demanding that Samak and his government resign, saying he is merely a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled in a 2006 military coup.
Samak denies the accusation, saying the protesters are trying to undermine his democratically elected government.
A number of senior Thaksin loyalists serve in Samak's administration. Before his appointment as foreign minister, Noppadon was Thaksin's top lawyer and spokesman while the former prime minister was in exile after his ouster.
Thaksin faces a slew of court cases charging him with corruption and abuse of power.
The Supreme Court heard testimony Tuesday from the first witnesses in the trial of Thaksin and his wife on charges related to her purchase of Bangkok real estate during his time as prime minister. The court is to rule 31 July on separate charges of tax evasion against his wife.
(By SUTIN WANNABOVORN/ AP)
2008-07-10
BANGKOK, THAILAND: Thailand's foreign minister resigned Thursday (10 July) after being accused of jeopardizing the country's claims to land near an ancient Cambodian temple, as a raft of court cases and street protests continued to batter the five-month-old government.
"Even though I did not do anything wrong, I would like to show responsibility by resigning," Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama said.
The resignation takes effect 14 July.
The Thai Constitutional Court ruled Tuesday (8 July) that Noppadon acted unconstitutionally when he endorsed Cambodia's application to have the Preah Vihear temple registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site without first consulting Parliament on the matter. Critics fear the endorsement undermines Thailand's claim to land near the temple, which is on the Thai-Cambodian border.
Shortly before his announcement, the main opposition Democrat Party submitted an impeachment motion against Noppadon before the upper house of Parliament, the Senate.
Several high-profile court rulings this week have targeted top officials in the government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.
The Constitutional Court disqualified Public Health Minister Chiya Sasonsup from office Wednesday for violating asset disclosure rules by failing to fully declare his wife's shareholdings.
In another case, the Supreme Court issued an arrest warrant Wednesday for Wattana Asavahame, chairman of one of the coalition parties, after he failed to appear in court to hear a verdict on corruption charges against him over a water treatment project.
The announcement of the verdict was rescheduled for 18 Aug, the court said. If convicted, Wattana faces up to 10 years in jail.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court banned a former parliamentary speaker from politics for five years for electoral fraud. The verdict could lead to the eventual dissolution of the People's Power Party if the Constitutional Court decides that Yongyuth Tiyapairat committed the fraud to benefit his party.
Demonstrators have disrupted traffic in pockets of the capital daily since May demanding that Samak and his government resign, saying he is merely a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled in a 2006 military coup.
Samak denies the accusation, saying the protesters are trying to undermine his democratically elected government.
A number of senior Thaksin loyalists serve in Samak's administration. Before his appointment as foreign minister, Noppadon was Thaksin's top lawyer and spokesman while the former prime minister was in exile after his ouster.
Thaksin faces a slew of court cases charging him with corruption and abuse of power.
The Supreme Court heard testimony Tuesday from the first witnesses in the trial of Thaksin and his wife on charges related to her purchase of Bangkok real estate during his time as prime minister. The court is to rule 31 July on separate charges of tax evasion against his wife.
(By SUTIN WANNABOVORN/ AP)
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