Mysterious signs urging unity appear in Thai capital on eve of Yingluck verdict

 

Ousted former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra greets supporters as she arrives at the Supreme Court in Bangkok, Thailand, August 1, 2017. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Dozens of big signs with the message "no disunity, no fracture" appeared in the Thai capital on Thursday, a day before a much-anticipated court ruling in a case against ousted, former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

 

Police said they had no idea who put up the signs or why, and there was no confirmation the call for unity was issued in anticipation of the Friday verdict, which could see Thailand's first woman prime minister jailed for 10 years on charges of mismanaging a multi-billion dollar rice-subsidy scheme.

 

No matter which way the verdict goes, it will be a landmark in more than a decade of sometimes-violent struggle for power between rival Thai factions.

 

The ruling military has said more than 3,000 of Yingluck's supporters could show up at the court in what would be one of the biggest political gatherings since her government was ousted in a 2014 coup. Thousands of policemen will be on duty.

 

Yingluck, who has denied wrongdoing and has said she is the victim of political persecution, appealed in a Facebook statement on Thursday for supporters not to go to the court but to watch proceedings from home instead.

 

Nevertheless, with fears of a return of the street violence that has erupted regularly over the years, the reason for the signs, to many people in Bangkok, was clear.

 

"We don't know if this is related to the Yingluck trial or not. We can't comment but you can make your own deductions," an officer at central Bangkok's Lumpini police station told Reuters.

 

City officials said they would take down the signs because they had been put up without permission.

 

Police would investigate but were unlikely to press charges, a senior officer said.

 

"The message on display on the signs is positive. It does not cause public disorder and is not considered a breach of the government's order," Major General Panurat Lakboon, deputy city police commissioner, told Reuters, referring to a military government ban on public displays of political activity.

 

"We are unlikely to press charges on this but will check the security cameras to find out who is responsible."

 

Under the multi-billion dollar subsidy scheme, Yingluck's government bought rice from farmers at inflated prices, leading to unsold stockpiles, distorted world prices and losses of $8 billion, this government says.

 

Critics said the scheme was engineered by Yingluck's brother, populist former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, to shore up support among rural voters who have handed electoral victory to a Shinawatra party in every election since 2001.

 

The military said it had to seize power in 2014 to end turmoil and has promised to hold an election next year under a new constitution that guarantees it oversight of government.

 

(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Robert Birsel)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-08-24

Police had no idea who put up the signs.

 

If only they had 100,000 CCTV cams installed....

Prayuth just bought a hood...

She still looks smashin' 

 

 

5 minutes ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

She still looks smashin' 

 

 

I'll put my hand up to that. A darn sign better looking than that other bloke who goes around kissing frogs hoping he will turn into a handsome prince.

Things are getting strange,

I'm starting to worry,

This could be a case for Mulder and Scully

 

Catatonia

Mysterious is the key word here..............................

2 hours ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

She still looks smashin' 

 

 

On the front page of TV there is a picture of 30 year old "model/actress" Anna Reece right next to

a picture 50 year old Yingluck. I sure as hell know which one I would rather wake up next to in the

morning and it isn't the model/actress.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

We are unlikely to press charges on this but will check the security cameras to find out who is responsible."

The city is currently heavily patrolled because of YL's verdict and nobody knows who did it. I think they are unlikely to press charges because they already  know.

this is "old style" black and white cinema !

Even without sound .....we know what will happen ......

same shit allover ...........

3 hours ago, webfact said:

under a new constitution that guarantees it oversight of government.

takes reuters to put the right words on it

When the plague disappeared/was changed with a fake under the military guards noses nobody saw anything, when army snipers mowed down unarmed protesters nobody saw anything and now propaganda appear and no one saw anything. There must be people in the country with super powers which enables them to become invicible.

Unity? We try to believe.

3 hours ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

She still looks smashin' 

 

 

absolutely! the hottest PM ever anywhere!

17 minutes ago, SOUTHERNSTAR said:

When the plague disappeared/was changed with a fake under the military guards noses nobody saw anything, when army snipers mowed down unarmed protesters nobody saw anything and now propaganda appear and no one saw anything. There must be people in the country with super powers which enables them to become invicible.

I first read your last word as invincible. Then I realised it was supposed to be invisible. Your accidental cross between the two is perfect!

2 hours ago, Cadbury said:

I'll put my hand up to that. A darn sign better looking than that other bloke who goes around kissing frogs hoping he will turn into a handsome prince.

yes she has done some weight watching and exercise very noticeable from the rear

Mysterious? Even Inspector Clouseau could solve this particular mind-boggler in 30 seconds flat...

It would be cool if ten old ladies with walking sticks show up and thank the PM for the protection offered and then give Yingluck a big kiss and limp off home

You'd have thought the signs would have gone up sooner.  After all, it was decided she was guilty way before the trial began!

2 hours ago, irwinfc said:

absolutely! the hottest PM ever anywhere!

 

4 hours ago, Cadbury said:

I'll put my hand up to that. A darn sign better looking than that other bloke who goes around kissing frogs hoping he will turn into a handsome prince.

change "toads" to "turds"...

5 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Things are getting strange,

I'm starting to worry,

This could be a case for Mulder and Scully

 

Catatonia

I think they might be unavailable because rumor has it they are somewhere in Chiang Rai  enjoying sticky rice and fried chicken wings...

5 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Things are getting strange,

I'm starting to worry,

This could be a case for Mulder and Scully

 

Catatonia

 

Catatonia - is that where Barcelona is? 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

will check the security cameras to find out who is responsible."

Why bother? You'll just be looking at yourself.

It is now or never.

When you feed a  nation B.S from birth including their history and the lessons from the invading Burmese in the past then you can post even more B.S suggesting the same thing  will happen, hence the "fracturing of a nation". signs.

Civil war will end  this and in my opinion is overdue.

Thai nation must be one of the most  gullible ever.

15 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Things are getting strange,

I'm starting to worry,

This could be a case for Mulder and Scully

 

Catatonia

Gotta hand to you guys, always ready for a quip. Began my day with a laugh. On the serious side, with cameras, and all those extra police that have been drafted (who ought to have begun their duty at least last night if not before) and they don't know where the signs came from. They have to be kidding. I recon it was a bunch of expats from this forum (Ha!) because while we cannot influence the politics or law in Thailand, if things go bad then we could receive some of the 'fallout'.

Yes, let's have unity now that there's a military junta, as opposed to when there was a democratically elected government. 

Almost as if someone knows the result before it happens!

Mysterious Thailand

On 24/08/2017 at 7:45 PM, madmitch said:

I first read your last word as invincible. Then I realised it was supposed to be invisible. Your accidental cross between the two is perfect!

A finger fault on the small screen to the good for once. I didnt even picked it up but now I know I am neither invincible nor invisible. But for fun read the words of Linkin Parks song Invisible, let me think of Thailand. By the way it was supposed to be invisible as you said.