THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Yingluck judgement day arrives, minus the brouhaha

Yingluck judgement day arrives, minus the brouhaha

Another “judgement day” for fugitive former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has arrived, but this time it lacks the excitement and tension that surrounded the previous judgement day last month.

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders is scheduled to read at 9am on Wednesday its verdict in the case against Yingluck of alleged negligence in preventing corruption and irregularities in her government’s rice-pledging scheme.
The ruling was postponed on August 25 as Yingluck did not turn up in court for the reading which led the court to issue an arrest warrant for her. The former prime minister is known to have fled the country.
The scene in front of the court on Chaeng Wattana Road on Wednesday was very different from last month.
Aware that Yingluck is not likely to show up, the number of Yingluck supporters turning up outside the court on Wednesday are significantly less than what one saw last month. Only two companies of Metropolitan police officers have been deployed to take care of security.
At 8am, around 50 supporters of the former PM were seen in front of the Supreme Court today. This contrasts with the thousands of supporters who had to be confined last month in a limited area in front of the Government Complex where the Supreme Court is located. This time, the supporters have been allowed to stand right in front of the Court.
No key Pheu Thai Party officials or former MPs were seen near the court.
Some supporters wore T-shirts with messages “[we] miss people overseas” with crab stickers representing “Phu” – Yingluck’s nickname in Thai.
Two female supporters, who identified themselves as Roong and Nut, said that they had travelled independently from their provinces to provide moral support to Yingluck.
“We just talked via Facebook that we will wear the same T-shirts today,” said 48-year-old Roong from Ratchaburi province. “We don’t expect anything but justice for Yingluck.”

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