Ex-MP dances naked to fulfill vow after Paetongtarn removed
Social media reacts to bold display of promise-keeping
A former Member of Parliament (MP) from the Move Forward Party (MFP) stripped naked yesterday, 1 September, and performed a traditional Thai dance to fulfil her vow after the former Prime Minister of Thailand, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was removed from office.
The ex-MP, Amarat Chokepamitkul, had announced on her Facebook account on June 6 that she wished for Paetongtarn to be removed from her position by 2025. If her wish came true, she vowed to dance naked in front of the sacred statue to which she had made the wish.
The vow came to pass when the Constitutional Court ordered Paetongtarn to leave her post on August 29, ruling that she had seriously violated ethical standards for Thai politicians during a phone conversation with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen.
Paetongtarn telephoned Hun Sen amid a territorial dispute that had caused rising border tensions. The call drew widespread public criticism as she was accused of undermining the Thai military, seeking sympathy from Hun Sen by comparing herself to his niece, and even offering to fulfil his wishes if it could bring peace to the border areas.
Some Thais suspected that she sided with Cambodia and personally benefited from the escalating tensions.
The former Prime Minister denied the allegations, insisting that she intended to resolve the border issue. She explained that her choice of words was a negotiation tactic intended to calm Hun Sen, but the court was not persuaded by her defence.
As her wish was fulfilled, Amarat carried out her vow. She visited a shrine in Nakhon Pathom province yesterday, September 1, and performed the traditional dance while naked. The performance took place inside a tent screened with white cloth, and Amarat later shared a video of the event on her Facebook page.
Her followers praised her for honouring her promise. Amarat told the media that she did not entirely believe in superstition and made the vow out of annoyance and frustration, but felt compelled to keep her word nonetheless.
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