Siblings fighting lonely battle

FORMER prime ministers Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra face political turbulence, but it is unlikely the red-shirt movement will come to their rescue.

The Foreign Ministry revoked Thaksin’s two passports on May 26 on the recommendation of the Royal Thai Police, which found that Thaksin may have violated Article 112 of the Criminal Code for a lese majeste offence.

The move came after Thaksin gave an interview while attending the Asian Leadership Conference in South Korea in which he claimed that members of the “elite” worked behind the scenes to support protests that led to the coup that ousted his sister Yingluck's government. 

Deputy Defence Minister General Udomdej Sitabutr, the Army chief, also assigned Judge Advocate director Maj-General Sarayuth Klinmahom to file a libel suit against Thaksin, who allegedly criticised the military with sarcastic comments about democracy at the same event.

Complainants also filed a complaint with police accusing Thaksin of violating Article 112 of the Criminal Code. Police will seek help from Attorney General Trakul Winitnaiyapak to prosecute Thaksin because the alleged offence was committed abroad.

Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya said he had instructed the Department of Special Investigation to check the clip of the interview with Thaksin, as it could be used as evidence to seek an arrest warrant for Thaksin.

Thaksin may also be stripped of his rank as police lieutenant colonel after the police committee that handles such matters resolved unanimously on May 29 to strip him of his rank because he fled abroad in late 2008 to escape a criminal conviction. The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders sentenced Thaksin to two years jail for the Ratchadaphisek land deal.

Police directives on stripping officers of their rank set down in 2004 that the rank of police and former police will be removed if they are sentenced by the highest court to serve a jail term or if they face criminal charges and escape punishment.

National police chief General Somyot Poompanmuang assigned the police legal department to check the legality of the resolution by the committee to strip Thaksin’s rank. Somyot said he did this to protect himself from being sued. He later sent the resolution back to the committee, saying it had to clarify how Thaksin’s behaviour had damaged the dignity of the police.

What could come next is stripping Thaksin of his royal decorations. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has said that if Thaksin is stripped of his police rank, he could lose his royal honours.

PM’s Office directive No 8 stipulates that the state agency that requests a royal decoration for a person can seek the PM’s approval to request royal permission to recall the decoration.

In accordance with this directive, Thaksin risks being stripped of all his royal decorations because the court sentenced him to two years in prison and confiscated his assets worth Bt46 billion after he was found to be “usually rich”.

Thaksin received nine royal decorations from 1974 to 2002.

Yingluck has also been hit hard with a series of legal actions that the Thaksin camp claim are nothing short of efforts to end her political career.

On January 23, when the National Legislative Assembly voted to impeach her for failing to stem losses and corruption in the rice pledging scheme, she was banned from politics for five years.

Yingluck is also standing trial in a criminal case filed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission – accused of negligence in preventing corruption in the rice pledging scheme, which cost the state a massive sum. 

A guilty verdict could see Yingluck face up to 10 years in jail.

The NACC also resolved on May 14 to press charges against Yingluck and her Cabinet for unlawfully paying compensation to victims of political rallies from 2005 to 2010.

The anti-graft agency will also decide this month whether to take legal action against Yingluck for allegedly violating Foreign Ministry regulations by giving Thaksin back his passport when she was prime minister.

Red shirt leaders perceive the “crackdown” against the duo as a junta show of force against Thaksin in retaliation for his stinging attack. However, the movement has decided against staging any moves against the junta.

“We can tolerate the current situation. Besides, what is happening does not link or having anything to do with red shirt masses. If we stage any moves, the issues must link with the masses,’’ an unnamed red shirt leader said.

The red shirts have chosen to see if the junta can solve the country’s problems. They believe Thaksin’s remarks may have been a slip of the tongue.