Antigovernment protesters seek German probe
BANGKOK — Prodemocracy demonstrators in Thailand expanded their protests internationally on Monday, marching to the German Embassy to appeal to Angela Merkel’s government to investigate whether Thailand’s king has exercised political power during his extended stays in Bavaria.
The protesters acted while criticizing their own Parliament, which began a special twoday session Monday to address political tensions resulting from the protests demanding the prime minister’s resignation, constitutional changes and reforms to the monarchy. They believe the king wields an inordinate amount of power in what is nominally a democracy under a constitutional monarchy.
The scrutiny and public criticism of the monarchy that has been displayed by some of the protesters is unprecedented in a country where the royal institution has been considered sacrosanct. It has also led royalists to stage their own counter rallies and to denounce the protesters for raising the issue, increasing the risk of confrontation.
The protesters defied police warnings that they constituted an illegal assembly and marched to the embassy in an effort to bring attention to the time King Maha Vajiralongkorn spends in Germany. The king in recent weeks has been in Thailand with a busy schedule of ceremonial events.
A statement from the protest group said they presented a letter to embassy officials asking that Germany investigate whether the king “has conducted Thai politics using his royal prerogative from German soil or not.”
The German government already brought up the issue in early October, when Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, responding to a question in Parliament, expressed concern over any political activities the king might be conducting in the country.
On Monday, Maas said the government was following developments in Thailand and was aware of “people taking to the streets for their rights.” He added that he also was watching the king’s activities in Germany.
“We have been examining this not only in recent weeks, but we are continuing to examine it in the long term, and if there are things we feel to be unlawful, then that will have immediate consequences,” Maas said.
Vajiralongkorn has for years spent significant time in Germany, but it became an issue only after the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in 2016.