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WORLD NEWS Monday 27 May 2019

Thai Former Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda dead at 98

Associated Press until recently. He appeared political means to prompt
BANGKOK (AP) — Prem frail at two most recent massive defections from
Tinsulanonda, one of Thai- public appearances: vot- the communist guerrilla
land’s most influential po- ing in the March general movement.
litical figures over four de- election and the corona- Prem was born in the ma-
cades who served as army tion of Bhumibol’s son, King jor southern fishing port of
commander, prime minis- Maha Vajiralongkorn, ear- Songkhla on Aug. 26 1920.
ter and adviser to the royal lier this month. He attended the prestigious
palace, has died at age 98. As prime minister himself, Chulachomklao Royal Mili-
His death Sunday in a Prem weathered two at- tary Academy in Bangkok
Bangkok hospital was an- tempted coups and was and later U.S. Army schools.
nounced by the govern- reportedly the target of as- He began his military career
ment’s Public Relations De- sassination plots by his en- in 1941 as a second lieu-
partment, confirming ear- emies in the army. tenant in a tank regiment.
lier unofficial reports in Thai Junior officers pushed a re- He first achieved national
media. luctant Prem into taking the prominence in 1974-77,
Prem was best noted for his prime minister’s job in 1980, when as army commander
longstanding devotion to In this Nov. 11, 2014 file photo, former Prime Minister Prem when Thailand faced an in the Thailand’s poor rural
the monarchy, especially Tinsulanonda attends a charity function in Bangkok, Thailand. ailing economy and perils northeast he stressed ru-
the late King Bhumibol Associated Press on the border with Cambo- ral development and civic
Adulyadej, who appointed ister from 1980 to 1988. ister Thaksin Shinawatra. He dia, which had been occu- action instead of military
him to his Privy Council im- While most Thai army com- denied the charge, but his pied by Vietnamese forces might in a successful cam-
mediately after he stepped manders came to the posi- behind-the-scenes power- who had driven out the paign against communist
down as prime minister, and tion through coups, Prem brokering underlined the communist Khmer Rouge insurgents.
named him head of that was elected by parliament influence he continued to regime but also sent hun- He was appointed deputy
powerful advisory body in though he never ran for of- hold in the military. Well- dreds of thousands of refu- interior minister in 1977 and
1998. His close relationship fice. publicized annual pilgrim- gees into Thailand. At the later army commander in
with Bhumibol helped ce- Critics questioned his de- ages to his Bangkok home same time, Thailand had chief and defense minister.
ment the military’s ties with votion to democracy, and to convey birthday greet- expanded ties with China He became prime minister
the palace, ensuring they later accused him of en- ings were undertaken by all and allies in the West, Ja- in March 1980, after the res-
were the country’s two couraging, if not engineer- army brass. pan and Southeast Asia. ignation of Kriangsak Cho-
most powerful institutions. ing, the 2006 coup that Prem appeared to be in At home, Prem relied on a manand, another former
Prem served as prime min- ousted elected Prime Min- vigorous health for his age general amnesty and other military leader.q

Thousands in Hong Kong commemorate 1989 Tiananmen protests

By KATIE TAM 4 — a nod to the day on raise awareness of or mere-
Associated Press June 4, 1989, when leaders ly discuss it are often pun-
HONG KONG (AP) — More of China’s ruling Commu- ished by authorities. Groups
than 2,000 people marched nist Party ordered the mili- such as the “Tiananmen
in Hong Kong on Sunday to tary to re-take Tiananmen Mothers” are pressured to
mark 30 years since a pro- Square from student-led stay quiet about the chil-
democracy protest in Bei- protesters. dren they lost, while others
jing’s Tiananmen Square Hundreds, if not thousands, are detained for making
ended in bloodshed. of unarmed protesters and even subtle tributes to the
Demonstrators took to onlookers were killed late occasion.
the streets holding yellow on June 3 and in the early The semi-autonomous ter-
umbrellas that read “Sup- hours of June 4 as a result of ritory of Hong Kong, how-
port Freedom, Oppose Evil the martial action. ever, holds yearly vigils and
Laws.” Some people car- Commemorations of the other gatherings to remem-
ried a black coffin, while Pro-Beijing supporters destroy yellow umbrellas, used to mark historic event are strictly ber the deceased and pay
protesting denouncing far-reaching Beijing control, during a
others wheeled white cross- demonstration in Hong Kong, Sunday, May 26, 2019. banned in mainland China, tribute to the spirit of the
es and the numbers 6 and Associated Press and those who attempt to protests. q