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A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 9 February 2019
Thai princess’ political bid sunk by her brother, the king

By GRANT PECK quished her title according est royal titles when she
Associated Press to royal laws by signing in married an American more
BANGKOK (AP) — Thai- letter, she still retains her sta- than four decades ago, its
land’s chaotic politics took tus and position as a mem- scope has been widened
two astonishing turns Friday ber of the Chakri dynasty,” in recent years to almost
when the sister of the king the king’s order said. anything that sullies the roy-
made a historic bid to be- “Bringing high-ranking royal al institution, making criti-
come prime minister, only family members to be in- cism of the princess highly
to have him shut down her volved in political system, problematical.
effort as “inappropriate” in any way, is an act that Before the king’s state-
because it violated tradi- is against the ancient roy- ment, Ubolratana had is-
tion and the constitution, al protocol and national sued a statement on Ins-
which keep the monarchy custom and culture, and is tagram saying she has “no
from getting involved in seen as a highly inappro- special privileges above
politics. priate act,” the statement the Thai people under the
The royal order from King added. constitution.”
Maha Vajiralongkorn was Prime Minister Prayuth “This act of mine, I have
read on national television Chan-ocha, the preferred done out of sincerity and
late Friday night, effec- candidate of the military, is intention to sacrifice in this
tively scuttling the move In this March 24, 2010, file photo, Thai Princess Ubolratana poses considered to be indelibly request to lead the country
by his older sister, Princess for a photo at the Thai Gala Night in Hong Kong. loyal to the monarchy. He to prosperity,” she said.
Ubolratana Mahidol, to be- Associated Press led the 2014 military coup Parliament has had mem-
come a candidate for the ties linked to the political come public, because the that ousted Thailand’s bers who were distant
prime minister’s office af- machine of former Prime Thai royal family’s private last elected government, relatives of the monarch.
ter parliamentary elections Minister Thaksin Shinawa- affairs are almost never which had been backed Ubolratana falls into a gray
scheduled for March 24. tra, a telecommunications leaked. by Thaksin. area, since she is common-
It was the latest event to roil billionaire who roared to Vajiralongkorn tried to soft- Prayuth had been consid- ly called a princess and
Thailand, which has been power in 2001 with popu- en the blow by acknowl- ered the front-runner for treated as such, despite
buffeted by coups, politi- list policies that made him edging that his 67-year- the March election be- losing the royal designa-
cal comebacks and street practically unbeatable. old sister has already relin- cause changes in the con- tions after her marriage.
violence for more than a The army eventually ousted quished her formal royal stitution and election rules Hours after she was regis-
decade. him from the prime minis- titles, and he praised her implemented by his gov- tered as a candidate, a
Ubolratana’s registration as ter’s office in a 2006 coup. for conducting charity work ernment make it difficult political party supporting
a candidate was a stunning The turnaround in Ubol- and otherwise earning the for political parties without Prayuth filed an objection
move, not only because it ratana’s fortunes was also love of her family and the military backing to capture with the Election Commis-
would have broken a ta- seen as startling because Thai people. the prime minister’s post. sion, arguing that the ac-
boo on a senior royal run- the siblings are thought to But his order stressed that Thailand also has a dra- tion broke rules banning
ning for public office, but be close and it was consid- Thailand’s constitution in- conian lese majeste law the use of the royal institu-
also because it would have ered unthinkable that Ubol- sists that the king and those which punishes defama- tion as part of a political
allied her with the Thai Rak- ratana would make her around him stay above tion of the immediate royal campaign. Several other
sa Chart Party, considered move without her brother’s politics, and the principles family with up to 15 years complaints followed, most-
to be unsympathetic to the permission. What actually of democratic government in prison. While it does not ly from conservative royal-
monarchy. had happened behind also put politics off-limits. technically apply to Ubol- ists, exposing a possible vul-
It is one of several par- the scenes is unlikely to be- “Even though she relin- ratana, who lost her high- nerability in her plans.q

Avalanches, landslides kill 11 people in Himalayan Kashmir

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — landslides are common. issued a high-danger ava-
Heavy snow caused ava- Elsewhere, a man and his lanche warning in many
lanches and landslides wife died in the southern parts of the region.
that killed 11 people and Kokernag region when an Last month, 10 workers were
trapped another in the Hi- avalanche hit their home killed when an avalanche
malayan region of Kashmir, Thursday evening, po- hit a Himalayan mountain
officials said Friday. lice said. Two other family pass bordering China in the
Rescuers cut through members were rescued. Indian-controlled portion
mounds of snow to reach Officials said a landslide of Kashmir. Rescuers took
11 people — seven police- also hit a key highway con- about a week to retrieve
men, two firefighters and necting the Kashmir Val- the bodies. Last year, 11
two prisoners — who were ley and Jammu near the civilians died in an ava-
trapped in a fire station in southern Ramban region, lanche near the highly mili-
the southern Banihal area killing two people. tarized Line of Control that
overnight, said top police Dozens were evacuated divides Kashmir between
officer S.P. Pani. An elderly Kashmiri man pushes his cycle on a snow covered from high-risk areas follow- Indian and Pakistan-admin-
They found the bodies of road in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Thursday, Feb. 7, ing heavy snows that dis- istered areas.
three of the policemen, the 2019. rupted power and commu- Avalanches also have
two firefighters and the two Associated Press nications as well as air traf- caused some of the heavi-
prisoners, and three police- ized while efforts to find the the fire station because it fic in the Indian-controlled est tolls for the Indian and
men were rescued alive, missing policeman contin- had not been damaged portion of Kashmir, while Pakistani armies camped
Pani said. He said the res- ued. Pani said the police- by past avalanches in the cutting off the Kashmir Val- near the de facto frontier
cued men were hospital- men had taken shelter in mountainous area, where ley from India. Authorities dividing their territories. q