Thailand on Sunday marked the 83rd birthday of
King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, but
elaborate celebrations could not mask concern over his health and
the future of the royal institution.
In his annual birthday speech, the king sounded what has become a
routine, general call for unity and hard work to keep the country
happy and prosperous in the face of the sometimes violent political
conflict it has endured in recent years.
Thousands of flag-waving citizs cheered his car's journey to
the ceremonial Grand Palace from Siriraj Hospital, where he was
admitted in September 2009 with a lung inflammation. There has been
no detailed explanation of his extended hospitalization. The king's
health is a matter of immense public concern, both because he is
widely admiredand because he is regarded as a unifying figure in
times of national crisis.
Shouts of "Long live the king" rang out as he entered the
hospital lobby in a motorized wheelchair and headed to board a van,
in which Queen Sirikit also sa.
On sidewalks close to the hospital, the crowd was five or six
deep, with those immediately along the street kneeling
reverentially. Police and soldiers lined the entire route for the
12-minute journey through Bangkok.
Massive ceremonies were held later in the day, as on past
occasions honoring the kng. They included a candle-lighting show of
devotion led by the prime minister, fireworks, the release of
thousands of small hot-air balloons and a nighttime boat procession
on Bangkok's Chao Phraya river.
Speaking briefly in a slow and rasping voice to dignitaries at
the Grand Palace, the king urged people to be clear about their
duties and carry them out to the best of their ability.
He called for them to perform "justly and firmly, doing your
duties correctly in an appropriate manner, for the security of the
country and its benefit." The annual birthday speech has for
several years been the main forum for the king to present his ideas
directly to the public.
Bhumibol's near-disappearance from public life has coincided with
a period of political instability after a 2006 military coup against
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra polarized the country. The king
has been unable or unwilling to play his traditional mediating role
to ease the conflict.
Defenders of the status quo, including the current government of
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, say the monarchy is under attack
by radicals who wish to undermine its authority and prestige, or
even abolish it. While serious opponents of the royal institution
are a tiny minority - and liable to long jail terms if they speak
publicly - the past few years have seen unprecedented questioning of
the monarchy.
Traditionally, the palace managed to stay aloof from the parry
and thrust of politics, its influence exercised behind the scenes or
only in extreme cases where a crisis posed an immediate threat to
the kingdom's peace and stability.
However, the 2006 coup ousting Thaksin opened a political and
social schism that has still not healed. Thaksin had been popularly
elected in landslide victories, but his critics accused him of
corruption and disrespect to the crown.
His supporters say he was toppled at the behest of a
Bangkok-oriented elite, with elements of the palace and the military
playing key roles because they felt their power and influence were
threatened by Thaksin's popularity, which was greatest among the
country's poor rural majority that benefited from his populist
policies.
The polarization became greater as gestures made by the king's
top aides and even Queen Sirikit seemed to give a nod of approval to
Thaksin's opponents, including "Yellow Shirt" protesters who in
2008 occupied the prime minister's office for three months and took
over Bangkok's two airports for a week. Their protests were aimed at
ousting two successive pro-Thaksin prime ministers.
As the crisis deepened, the health of the king began to decline,
and he sharply curtailed his public appearances. That has
intensified long-standing concern about the royal succession, though
it is still not acceptable as a matter for public debate.
The heir apparent, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, does not yet have
the stature or moral authority of his father, who has been on the
throne for more than 64 years.
At Sunday's Grand Palace ceremony, the 58-year-old prince was the
first of several dignitaries - including the prime minister and the
heads of Parliament and the military - to offer birthday wishes to
the king.
"On this occasion, I would like to promise that I will carry out
my tasks appropriately according to my status and my duties, based
on reason and rationality in order to maintain the Chakri Dynasty's
honor and the prosperity and security of the country," the prince
said.
