Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY

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WORLD NEWS Thursday 21 November 2019
Thai court removes pro-democracy politician from Parliament

By TASSANEE VEJPONGSA The party also is pushing an
GRANT PECK effort to amend the con-
Associated Press stitution to make it more
BANGKOK (AP) — Thai- democratic. Thailand was
land's Constitutional Court under the rule of a military
ruled Wednesday that a junta from 2014 until earlier
popular pro-democracy this year, and that govern-
opposition leader violated ment pushed through a
election laws and cannot new constitution to give
keep his seat in Parliament. more power to the military
The court said Thanathorn and the courts and senior
Juangroongruangkit, the bureaucrats at the expense
40-year-old head of the of elected office holders.
new Future Forward Party, Thanathorn, a billion-
violated a regulation bar- aire whose family fortune
ring owners of media com- comes from the auto parts
panies from running for Par- industry, founded his party
liament. The court rejected in March 2018 as Thailand
Thanathorn's claim that he was heading toward an
sold his holding in a media election. The party's initial
production company be- support came from youth
fore the deadline needed and young professionals,
to be a candidate. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit leader of the anti-military Future Forward Party gestures as he but it proved to have wider
The ruling had been ex- leaves Constitutional Court in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019. appeal in many parts of
pected. Thanathorn's par- Associated Press the country.
ty, which finished third in the court into whether he to us is just." cases had not been filed The army staged coups in
a March general election, knowingly flouted the rules, Thanathorn was never al- and processed by an inves- 2006 and 2014 to attempt
has been a thorn in the side and he could face a ban lowed to take his seat in tigative committee. to shore up the old ruling
of Thailand's conservative on public office if found the lower house of Parlia- On Monday, Thanathorn class led by a royalist-mili-
establishment, in whose fa- guilty. ment because of the Elec- raised the issue again, an- tary alliance.
vor the courts have consis- About 100 fervent support- tion Commission's prelimi- nouncing he was suing The ruling class's power was
tently ruled. The party is dis- ers mobbed Thanathorn nary finding that he had the Election Commission's challenged by the rise of
liked by the establishment as he arrived for the court violated the law. Accord- members because they billionaire populist Thaksin
not only for its anti-military hearing and gave him an ing to an initial court rul- had acted improperly by Shinawatra, whose 2006
stance, but also because even more enthusiastic re- ing, he was suspended be- forwarding his case to the ouster by the military set
of its strong popularity. ception on his way out. cause he could be guilty as Constitutional Court before off a long and sometimes
There are many other cas- "We shouldn't be con- charged, which would be it was adequately inves- violent power struggle be-
es pending against Thana- cerned. It's important for an "obstruction to the im- tigated. Thanathorn had tween his supporters and
thorn and his party, and us to continue on our cam- portant work in the meet- announced before the rul- opponents.
there is a widespread be- paigns and there are so ings in the House of Repre- ing that he would continue Prayuth Chan-ocha, who
lief that the deck is stacked many things that we have sentatives." to be active politically no staged the 2014 coup and
against it and it will end up to work on," Thanathorn However, the court did matter what the verdict, afterward served as prime
being disbanded, with its told reporters after the rul- not suspend 32 members and he went from the court minister in the military gov-
leaders banned from politi- ing. "We should be focus- of Parliament from the co- to a shopping area where ernment, took a second
cal office for several years. ing on what really benefits alition formed by the pro- he took part in campaign- term this year after the
The ruling against Thana- people. The public can de- military Palang Pracharath ing for public support for his Palang Pracharath Party
thorn automatically trig- cide for themselves wheth- Party who faced similar party's policy to end mili- formed a coalition after the
gers further deliberation by er or not what happened complaints. It said those tary conscription. election. q

Esper accuses China of intimidating smaller Asian nations

By ROBERT BURNS Vietnam is one of the re- As part of a long-term ef-
Associated Press gion's most vocal critics of fort to forge closer relations
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — China's sweeping territorial with Vietnam, Esper an-
U.S. Defense Secretary claims in the South China nounced that the U.S. will
Mark Esper on Wednesday Sea and has accused Bei- provide Vietnam's coast
accused China of using jing of encroaching into its guard with a surplus Ameri-
coercion and intimidation waters. can ship. He said it would
against smaller Asian na- "The United States firmly op- be provided next year, but
tions to impose its will in the poses intimidation by any he gave no details on pay-
South China Sea. claimant to assert its territo- ment or exact timing.
He urged Vietnam and rial or maritime claims, and Esper met with several top
others in the region to push we call for an end to the government officials and
back. bullying and unlawful ac- paid a visit to the city's Hoa
"We will not accept at- tivities," Esper said. Lo prison, dubbed the "Ha-
tempts to assert unlaw- Later, in remarks at Viet- noi Hilton" by American ser-
ful maritime claims at the nam's Communist Party vicemen held there during
expense of law-abiding headquarters, Esper said, the Vietnam War.
nations," Esper said in a "We strongly oppose viola- The late Sen. John McCain
speech to the Diplomatic tions of international law by U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, left, and Vietnamese De- was held there after he was
fense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich shake hands in Hanoi, Vietnam
Academy of Vietnam, a China and excessive claims Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019. shot down in his Navy jet
government university. in the South China Sea." Associated Press over Hanoi in 1967.q