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ith reference to two articles published in The Jakarta Post, “Thai military remains power broker in royal succession” (AFP) and “The ending story of longest-reigning king” (Reuters), on Oct. 15, 2016, it is important to set the record straight in relation to the following points mentioned in the two articles.

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej worked tirelessly throughout his 70-year reign to serve Thai people and was a beacon of stability, light and hope for all Thais. He earned this admiration with his unyielding determination and commitment to develop and modernize Thailand.

The whole nation is in mourning and overwhelming outpourings of respect, admiration and profound sorrow can be felt across the nation, regardless of citizens’ political or religious backgrounds.

Throughout his reign, His Majesty performed his duties in a non-political, neutral manner, while consistently recognizing the limitations of his authority within the constitutional monarchy. Even when the whole country petitioned him to become involved during periods of political strife, the king remained impartial.

Recent articles appearing in the media referring to whether His Majesty approved or disapproved of the appointment of Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, prime minister of Thailand, are grossly inaccurate. The king fulfilled the formal role of “guarantor” to the Kingdom of Thailand, so that the nation could enjoy greater stability and to make sure that the people’s confidence would be boosted by ensuring that the government could carry on with its work unhindered.

Although His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej had misgivings about Thailand’s law of lèse majesté, His Majesty was in no position to change it, as legislative power in Thailand lies fully with the parliament.

With regard to the royal succession in Thailand, the situation is really very clear; His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn has been proclaimed heir to the throne since 1972. On this subject, there are clearly stipulated rules and procedures that refer to this process.

The temptation to cherry-pick anecdotes, or present views that conveniently meet certain narratives or one’s own preconceptions should be avoided when referring to this kind of subject matter. Besides portraying a false and prejudiced picture, it also risks adding fuel to a delicate situation that could further increase tensions in Thailand unnecessarily.

Paskorn Siriyaphan
Thai ambassador to Indonesia
Jakarta