Bangkok - Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej has approved the
appointment of a respected career diplomat as the country's next
foreign minister amid a deepening political crisis in the country,
the government announced Monday.
Saroj Chavamaviraj, 66, was named the new foreign minister after
royal approval was granted Sunday, a government announcement
broadcast on Thai television said.
Saroj rose to be permanent secretary of the Foreign Affairs
Ministry for four years before his final posting as ambassador to
France. He retired from the ministry in 2002.
His appointment followed the shock resignation Wednesday of his
predecessor, Tej Bunnag, which dealt a serious blow to the
credibility of the current government under Prime Minister Samak
Sundaravej.
Tej was also a respected career diplomat who had been asked to
step in as foreign minister when the previous minister, Noppadon
Pattama, was forced to resign in disgrace after his controversial
handling of joint Thai-Cambodian claims to the ancient Hindu temple
of Preah Vihear on the two countries' border.
Tej's resignation came at a time of intense political crisis for
Samak.
On September 2, Samak declared a state of emergency in Bangkok
after a violent street clash between pro-government and
anti-government protestors left one person dead and 43 injured.
Thousands of followers of the People's Alliance for Democracy
(PAD) have occupied Government House, the government's headquarters,
since August 26, demanding Samak's resignation.
The protestors have defied the emergency decree, which outlaws the
gathering of more than five people while the military, responsible
for enforcing the decree, has refused to use force to remove the
demonstrators from the seat of Thailand's government.
Samak has refused to step down.
Saroj faces several tough tasks in the near future. Not only will
he be responsible for explaining Thailand's political crisis to the
international community, but he must prepare for the upcoming annual
summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in
December and also deal with the rift with Thailand's neighbour
Cambodia over Preah Vihear.
Joint claims to land adjacent to the temple triggered a military
standoff between the two countries in July.
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