Party of Thai former PM says will work for democracy and the people

[snoop1130]

Party of Thai former PM says will work for democracy and the people

By Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Pracha Hariraksapitak

 

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

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - The political party of former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who fled into exile last week, said on Tuesday it would overcome the obstacles it faces and was committed to democracy and working for the good of the people.

 

Yingluck, whose government was ousted in a 2014 military coup, disappeared ahead of a verdict last Friday in her trial for negligence over a costly rice subsidy scheme that could have seen her jailed for up to 10 years.

 

The government has said she is abroad but has not confirmed where she is. Members of her Puea Thai party have said she fled to Dubai.

 

Party members said at the weekend that without Yingluck, the party was leaderless. But in a statement on Tuesday the party said it was resolved to forge ahead with its work.

 

"The Puea Thai party has passed hot, cold and heavy monsoons ... but all members of the party are still committed to safeguarding democracy," it said in the statement.

 

It did not refer explicitly to Yingluck's departure, referring only to "the event that took place on Aug. 25".

 

"We would like to say that the party has important business ... The obstacles that the party is undergoing makes us more determined ... to work so that Thai people have happiness."

 

Yingluck, 50, was elected Thailand's first female prime minister in 2011 and is the sister of ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

 

She was forced to step down days before a May 2014 coup, after a court found her guilty of abuse of power.

 

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who is also head of the junta and led the 2014 coup against Yingluck's government, said he was concerned that Yingluck could rally the opposition from abroad.

 

"I'm worried because people still give importance to her," Prayuth told reporters at Bangkok's Government House.

 

The military government has promised to hold a general election next year.

 

PASSPORTS

 

Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai told reporters the government had no immediate plan to revoke Yingluck's passports.

 

She holds two Thai passports, one regular and another diplomatic, and is also thought to hold a third, foreign one.

 

"The issue has not reached the foreign ministry yet," he said when asked if the ministry would revoke her passports.

 

A foreign ministry spokesman said he could not confirm whether Yingluck held a foreign passport.

 

Her brother, former telecommunications tycoon Thaksin, holds a Montenegrin passport. He was ousted in a 2006 coup and fled abroad to avoid a 2008 jail term for graft related to a land case he called politically motivated.

 

He has a home in Dubai but travels frequently, particularly to Singapore and Hong Kong, to meet his three children and grandchildren, members of the Shinawatra family have said in social media posts.

 

Aides say Yingluck, who pleaded innocent to the negligence charge, left Thailand after getting information that she would be given a heavy sentence.

 

Under the rice subsidy scheme, a flagship policy of her administration, the government bought at above-market prices, to the approval of farmers in the north and northeast, regions that have historically supported the Shinawatras.

 

Critics denounced the scheme as an expensive exercise in shoring up electoral support.

 

It led to unsold rice stocks of as much as 18 million tonnes, caused Thailand to lose its crown as the world's top rice exporter and led to losses of $8 billion, the ruling military government says.

 

The Supreme Court will now deliver its verdict on Sept. 27.

 

(Additional reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat and Aukkarapon Niyomyat; Writing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Robert Birsel)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-8-29

[sweatalot]

ptp - democracy -  yes, we know        

[scorecard]

17 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

ptp - democracy -  yes, we know        

 

Yes we know - there is no connection.

 

By the way, did they get permission from the owner to make such statements?

Edited August 29, 2017 by scorecard

[Wiggy]

"Will work for democracy." Then start by electing a leader rather than appointing one.

[halloween]

PTP wouldn't recognise a democracy if it bit them.

[shanesox]

PTP wouldn't recognise a democracy if it bit them.

To end the quote "in the a**"


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[seajae]

too late for april fools day, these cretins will never do anything that doesnt put money in their and thaksins pocket, democracy is a complete unknown to them, all that matters is how much they can swindle from the country

[rijb]

It sounds like "Reconciliation" is off the table.

[halloween]

8 minutes ago, rijb said:

It sounds like "Reconciliation" is off the table.

Well the red version of reconciliation is Don't prosecute our criminals. Yes, it is not an option, as yet another ( Yongyuth Wichaidit) found today.

[rijb]

34 minutes ago, halloween said:

Well the red version of reconciliation is Don't prosecute our criminals. Yes, it is not an option, as yet another ( Yongyuth Wichaidit) found today.

Give it a rest.  

 

I was referring to the Thai military government's 'version' of political reconciliation prior to general elections.

[sjaak327]

1 hour ago, halloween said:

Well the red version of reconciliation is Don't prosecute our criminals. Yes, it is not an option, as yet another ( Yongyuth Wichaidit) found today.

The "yellow version" of reconciliation is prosecute red criminals, hell the Yellow ones all have amnesty, so they cannot possibly be prosecuted. 

[nausea]

5 hours ago, halloween said:

PTP wouldn't recognise a democracy if it bit them.

I would tend to agree, but you could argue that that goes for both sides. To me, the underlying structures here seem to be more akin to the old Roman republic (Optimates, Populares, and, of course, ahem,  the army), glossed by talk of "Democracy" for form's sake and foreign consumption. Under such a system you really are dependent on the qualities of the leaders of each respective faction (and I'll leave that for you to decide), as the democratic structures that underpin a true democracy are not functioning effectively.

 

 

Edited August 29, 2017 by nausea
More info.

[candide]

45 minutes ago, nausea said:

I would tend to agree, but you could argue that that goes for both sides. To me, the underlying structures here seem to be more akin to the old Roman republic (Optimates, Populares, and, of course, ahem,  the army), glossed by talk of "Democracy" for form's sake and foreign consumption. Under such a system you really are dependent on the qualities of the leaders of each respective faction (and I'll leave that for you to decide), as the democratic structures that underpin a true democracy are not functioning effectively.

 

 

I doubt that it is relevant to compare Thailand with a republic, even the old Roman one. 

[candide]

8 hours ago, sweatalot said:

ptp - democracy -  yes, we know        

And of course the alternative options are more democratic! 

[Ricardo]

7 hours ago, sjaak327 said:

The "yellow version" of reconciliation is prosecute red criminals, hell the Yellow ones all have amnesty, so they cannot possibly be prosecuted. 

"all  have amnesty"

 

Yet Sonthi is still in jail ?

 

And Sorayud had to knock-down his house and return the land ?

 

And that people-smuggling general was prosecuted ?

 

I believe that there are prosecutions in both directions, sometimes because they are actually guilty !

 

 

[sweatalot]

3 hours ago, candide said:

And of course the alternative options are more democratic! 

So what?

[Baerboxer]

16 hours ago, Wiggy said:

"Will work for democracy." Then start by electing a leader rather than appointing one.

 

 

There can never be democracy while a political party has MP's being paid a salary by a crook to do his bidding and who think lying and cheating are acceptable and that they're above all laws.

 

So PTP gonna change - I don't think so!

[sjaak327]

6 hours ago, Ricardo said:

"all  have amnesty"

 

Yet Sonthi is still in jail ?

 

And Sorayud had to knock-down his house and return the land ?

 

And that people-smuggling general was prosecuted ?

 

I believe that there are prosecutions in both directions, sometimes because they are actually guilty !

 

 

The yellows in the NCPO have amnesty, corrected. 

 

Sonthi crimes were not political of course.

[Stargeezr]

Yes the party will work for the country just like, Yingluck and her older brother did.

All for the country and not much for them selves and their followers.

Hah!  Such a wonderful and innocent bunch of politicians.

Geezer