Thailand's Constitutional Court suspends PM Paetongtarn

BANGKOK -- Thailand's Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Tuesday after accepting a petition accusing her of constitutional violation.

A panel of judges voted to accept the petition and order Paetongtarn to stop performing her duties as prime minister starting Tuesday pending a final ruling, the court said in a statement.

The decision comes after a group of senators last month filed the petition accusing Paetongtarn of breaching the constitution by a serious violation of ethical standards over a telephone conversation with Cambodian Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen on the border issue.

Paetongtarn, the 38-year-old Pheu Thai Party leader and the daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was appointed last August to become Thailand's youngest and second female prime minister after winning a parliamentary vote.