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BERLIN (BLOOMBERG) – The German government has found no evidence that King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand did anything illegal while living there, the German press agency DPA said, citing a statement from the Foreign Ministry.
Vajiralongkorn has spent most of his time in recent years in the European nation. In October, thousands of Thai protesters, demanding more accountability and transparency from the monarchy, sent a letter to the German embassy in Bangkok, asking the authorities to investigate whether he has exercised royal authority during his time there in violation of the law of the land. .
“The German government has no reliable evidence that the King of Thailand made such decisions during his stay in Germany,” the Foreign Ministry said in a written response to a parliamentary question. The ministry also said it hoped that Vajiralongkorn would not make decisions that “contravene the German legal system, international law or internationally guaranteed human rights” while on German soil.
For nearly four months, Thailand has witnessed a growing pro-democracy protest movement that has called for the resignation of the government, a rewriting of the constitution and the reform of the monarchy, the country’s most powerful institution. Protesters are breaking deep-rooted taboos in Thailand, where insulting or criticizing royals can lead to long jail terms.
Demands for reforms in the monarchy include the king no longer supporting coups and ditching laws that stifle discussions about the royal family.
On Sunday, protesters attempted to deliver letters they had written calling for reform directly to the King.
Police used high-pressure water cannons to disperse them before they could reach the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
The King recently said that Thailand is a “land of compromise” and that he loves everyone “anyway”. So far, the government has been unable to quell the protests and the protesters rejected the olive branch and vowed to continue their movement until all demands are met.
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