A well-known Thai politician, Prawit Wongsuwon, was caught on camera slapping a female reporter after she asked him a question he didn’t like.
This incident has led to a formal investigation into his behavior.
The 79-year-old Prawit, a former army chief and current member of parliament, struck the reporter multiple times while surrounded by other journalists last month.
This act has been labeled as “physical h@rassment” by Senator Tewarit Maneechai, who is now pushing for a parliamentary investigation. “It is disrespectful to a journalist who is simply doing her job,” he stated.
The altercation occurred on August 16, just moments after another politician, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, won a parliamentary vote to become Thailand’s youngest-ever prime minister at age 37.
Paetongtarn is the third member of the wealthy Shinawatra family to take the position, a family that has had a rocky history with Prawit.
Although Prawit did not attend the vote, a female TV journalist asked him for his thoughts on Paetongtarn’s victory. He responded aggressively, demanding, “What are you asking? What are you asking?” and then struck her on the head several times, as seen in the video footage.
Piya Tavichai, a spokesperson for Prawit’s Palang Pracharat Party, claimed that Prawit knows the reporter well and has since apologized. He suggested that Prawit was merely teasing her, as he often does with people close to him. “As a former soldier, his teasing might come off as violent, but it’s not meant to be taken that way,” Piya explained.
However, the media community in Thailand has reacted strongly against Prawit’s actions. Thai PBS, the country’s public broadcaster, has called on him to take responsibility for his behavior.
Prawit is a significant figure in Thai politics, having been involved in various political struggles for over two decades. He served as deputy prime minister for nine years following a coup in 2014.
In response to the incident, Senator Tewarit has requested an ethics investigation into Prawit’s actions through the Senate, which will be sent to the lower house of parliament.
They will have 30 days to respond, and the potential penalties for Prawit, if found guilty, remain uncertain.
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