Decision on Yingluck going overseas deferred

[webfact]

Decision on Yingluck going overseas deferred
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) reaffirmed yesterday that its decision on former PM Yingluck Shinawatra's request to travel overseas should be postponed until there is a court verdict in the rice-pledging case.

Prosecutors are set to take her to the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders for failing to stop corruption and causing huge losses to the state.

NCPO secretary-general General Udomdej Sitabutr, who also serves as Army Chief, said the council realised that Yingluck's request to travel overseas had drawn immense public interest. Hence, it consulted with concerned agencies and presented the information to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to make a decision, Udomdej said.

"We all agree that Yingluck's overseas trips should be postponed, pending the court's decision on the issue. We would like ensure nobody who is cooperating is inconvenienced and if her leaving the country affects the case, which has also attracted public attention, then her trip should be postponed," he said.

Even though the government and NCPO have the power to make a decision on Yingluck's request to leave the country, he said, as soon as the rice-pledging scheme case enters the justice system, all parties have to respect due process otherwise the issue would only snowball.

The NCPO has rejected her request to visit Hong Kong, China and the UK, and she cannot leave the country until February 22 as she will be required to appear in court.

The Office of the Attorney-General said it will indict Yingluck for criminal offences in relation to the rice-pledging scheme by February 21.

Yingluck has been charged by the National Anti-Corruption Commission with failing to stop corruption and allowing losses of many billions of baht.

Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who is also deputy PM, yesterday cited prosecutors' concerns about letting Yingluck travel overseas - that her leaving may affect the case.

Yingluck's lawyer, however, responded by saying she had every right to leave the country as prosecutors had not yet filed the case.

The lawyer said all charters guarantee the rights and liberty of suspects facing criminal litigation. He added that if the court accepted the case, it would require that the suspect only be present on the first day of the hearing, not the day the indictment is filed in court.

Former foreign minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said he agreed that Yingluck was entitled to leave the country because the case has not been brought to court. Anyway, he said, she had no plans to escape the justice system. Surapong also insisted that Prayut and the NCPO had the power to decide on whether Yingluck can leave the country.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Decision-on-Yingluck-going-overseas-deferred-30253756.html


-- The Nation 2015-02-10

[PatOngo]

Oh come on............she needs to eat congee!

[Stradavarius37]

Don't worry, she is at my house

[djjamie]

"We all agree that Yingluck's overseas trips should be postponed"

[Raymonddiaz]

Big brother's watching you, be careful what you are going to say..........................................

[dinger]

Interesting spin here. All over world press yesterday it was stated that she was banned from leaving the country. However here her trip is merly post postponed

[tx22cb]

Guilty until proven innocent.

Didn't she go abroad last year with dozens of suitcases, with the Yellers protesting that she would not return ..... and yet she did return?

[z42]

And rightly so, if i or any other normal person was facing down serious charges that were alleged to have cost the state billions then I very much doubt i'd be free to ship out at my choosing either. It's good that the army is doing its job properly here & digging its heels in

[chainarong]

I think it was all explained yesterday , whilst under Martial Law the Junta basically are a law unto themselves so there is no need for charges to be laid which is the proper democratic way to do business, one must remember under the junta all Expats can be placed under house arrest or forced to leave the country, so if you have upset them or question there rhetoric watch out.

[thesetat2013]

Guilty until proven innocent.

Didn't she go abroad last year with dozens of suitcases, with the Yellers protesting that she would not return ..... and yet she did return?

And wasn't that before it was stated criminal charges would be filed and even before her impeachment with which she has been sure and assured could not happen?

[worgeordie]

I think really the Government would be very pleased if Yingluck

left Thailand never to return,living in the desert with her brother

where according to him there is only camel meat and camel milk,

to eat and drink.

regards Worgeordie

[FangFerang]

Even most pro-democracy advocates (not the same as red cheerleaders) agree that the Shinawatras should be removed from power, however, due process must be applied with serious consideration given to the history of Thai justice in similar circumstances and with opposing players having been under the gun. That is simply not being addressed. I strongly believe the junta is making a tactical mistake. Once a martyr is created, a martyr cannot be silenced.

Thais that voted for her are not going to be forgiving once martial law is lifted, they will feel personally assaulted in perpetuity. It is what it is. No amount of "attitude adjustment" will make someone who believes they have been assaulted do more than pay lip service to go home. Expecting more than that is moronic.

All the people on TVF screaming for 'reconciliation' are advocating the opposite of reconciliation. Reconciliation is not a one-sided solution to a two-sided problem. Such positions are both illogical, untenable and bombastic. It is as far removed from reconciliation and conflict resolution as revenge is from justice.

[Valentine]

Guilty until proven innocent.

Didn't she go abroad last year with dozens of suitcases, with the Yellers protesting that she would not return ..... and yet she did return?

Is that similar to a former Mrs T traveling abroad with a multitude of trunks stuffed with laundry.

[Bakseeda]

Even most pro-democracy advocates (not the same as red cheerleaders) agree that the Shinawatras should be removed from power, however, due process must be applied with serious consideration given to the history of Thai justice in similar circumstances and with opposing players having been under the gun. That is simply not being addressed. I strongly believe the junta is making a tactical mistake. Once a martyr is created, a martyr cannot be silenced.

Thais that voted for her are not going to be forgiving once martial law is lifted, they will feel personally assaulted in perpetuity. It is what it is. No amount of "attitude adjustment" will make someone who believes they have been assaulted do more than pay lip service to go home. Expecting more than that is moronic.

All the people on TVF screaming for 'reconciliation' are advocating the opposite of reconciliation. Reconciliation is not a one-sided solution to a two-sided problem. Such positions are both illogical, untenable and bombastic. It is as far removed from reconciliation and conflict resolution as revenge is from justice.

Come on... give the Thai peoples some credit. They can now see how they were hoodwinked by the Shinewatra clan. Many many Thai peoples I know who were staunch Thaksinites now know that they made a big mistake and were conned by an evil man. Yinluck would Never get the same votes that she had first time round. And once the evidence is shown in the court room how she lost those billions of bahts and into whose pockets most of it went, People will wake up quickly. and call for her blood.

[lucky11]

Guilty until proven innocent.

Didn't she go abroad last year with dozens of suitcases, with the Yellers protesting that she would not return ..... and yet she did return?

But she wasn't knee deep in S*** at the time - this time it seems likely that she is and doesn't fancy doing porridge, should it come to that!!

I wasn't a yeller BTW, but this time I think that she must stay as she is a flight risk (just like her brother) whose honest word was taken that he would return and the rest is history.

[rickirs]

"... all parties have to respect due process ..."

I didn't realize that a military coup, a Junta-led government, and martial law were part of due process. But then, this is Thailand and repeated military coups overthrowing elected governments would almost seem to be a kind of due process. Obviously, due process only applies to those who can hold power.