Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan called a press conference to defend herself after Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon called her high-profile procession "improper".
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Sudarat warned against exploiting royal cremation
Wassana Nanuam & Aekarach Sattaburuth
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon threatened yesterday to delay lifting a years-long ban on political activities after one party was accused of exploiting the recent one-year anniversary of the passing of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Photographs emerged yesterday of Pheu Thai Party heavyweight Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan standing in the bed of a running pickup truck equipped with speakerphones and a large sign bearing her full name on Sunday.
Khunying Sudarat took flak on social media for engaging in what she claimed was a public campaign, not a political one, encouraging people to plant marigolds as a way of showing their respect for the late King, who passed away on Oct 13, 2016.
The flower is associated with Monday, the day on which the highly revered late King was born.
When quizzed on the topic yesterday, Gen Prawit, who also serves as defence minister, said he had already warned parties to refrain from any provocative action this month.
"If that happens again, [the ban] should be put on hold. No relaxation," he said.
Gen Prawit described Khunying Sudarat's action as "improper" and said the NCPO will discuss the matter with her.
Shortly after he made these remarks, Khunying Sudarat called a press conference to defend herself.
Khunying Sudarat insisted the truck in the pictures was not intended as a vehicle for an election campaign and the motorcycles running alongside it were not driven by police officers but volunteers.
The teary-eyed Pheu Thai figure was adamant she was paying devotion to the late King Rama IX.
"I had no political intentions whatsoever," she said, tearing up. "I apologise for any inconvenience and misunderstanding. This had nothing to do with politics and no benefits were involved."
According to her, local communities sought her support for activities to honour the King and they were using marigold to decorate nine pavilions exhibiting the King's work along the road.
The pavilion activity, held during Oct 13-15, involved collecting marigold from local residents with a procession of vehicles on the last day of the project. Khunying Sudarat boarded many vehicles during the process.
"There was not a single sign of my name along the road. I rejected the organising committee's proposal to display my name at the venues.
"But I made the mistake of getting on the old truck with a sticker of my name which I have used since I joined the Thai Pueng Thai Foundation and the committee had not covered the sticker," Khunying Sudarat said.
