Thailand Politics

Trial of Thailand’s Yingluck Fails to Break Shinawatra Machine

Ousted former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra gestures as she arrives at the Supreme Court, for a trial on criminal negligence looking into her role in a debt-ridden rice subsidy scheme during her administration, in Bangkok, Thailand, January 15, 2016. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom

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KHON KAEN – As the trial of former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra over an extravagant rice subsidy program winds to a close, her rural supporters are resisting attempts by the ruling junta to silence her family’s political machine.

Yingluck and her Puea Thai Party say the trial is politically motivated, aimed at discrediting a populist movement that has won every election since 2001.

Yingluck’s brother Thaksin Shinawatra first introduced the rice programs before he himself was ousted in a 2006 coup. But Yingluck took it a step further by offering to buy rice from farmers at up to 50 per cent above market prices.

The measure helped her sweep to power in the 2011 general election. But government losses from the scheme — which also distorted global rice prices — helped fuel protests that led to her removal from power days before the 2014 coup.

If found guilty, Yingluck like her brother Thaksin, would be disqualified from becoming premier again.

Thaksin has been living in self-imposed exile for 11 years to avoid serving a two-year sentence over a corrupt land deal.

That has left political circles guessing who would lead the party in the next election, scheduled for next year, and whether that leader could possibly be someone outside the Shinawatra clan that has dominated the movement until now.

Unchallenged in Northeast

Farmers from the Shinawatra powerbase in the northeast told Reuters they would vote for the Puea Thai Party again in the next election.

“The Yingluck rice scheme made rice farmers prosperous from having a reliable income that came on time,” said Paisan Pachanda, 59, a rice farmer and co-operative leader in Khon Kaen, a major commercial hub that lies on a plateau in the center of the northeast region.

“If there’s an election . . . people in the northeast will still vote for the Puea Thai Party, even if there is no Shinawatra in the party,” he said.

Even the rival Democrat Party concedes Puea Thai remains unchallenged in the Northeast.

“Puea Thai Party’s political base, its MPs and politicians, have developed strong networks in the northeast,” said Ong-art Klampaiboon, deputy leader of the Democrat Party. “So even if the party changes its leadership it is unlikely that it will affect its strong bonds on the ground,” he told Reuters.

Asked about Puea Thai’s popularity, Lieutenant General Sansern Kaewkamnerd, a spokesman for the government, said: “The people get to decide who they want to represent them.”

Rice Legacy

Yingluck, whose government was ousted in a 2014 military coup, faces up to 10 years in jail if found guilty of negligence over her role in the rice program.

The last hearing in her 2-year long case will be at a Bangkok court on Friday. A verdict is expected after closing statements are delivered in a few weeks’ time.

“The rice subsidy scheme was a state policy declared to parliament. Yet the charge has been brought against me alone in a criminal case,” Yingluck told Reuters in a written reply to questions. “No other government has been charged over its public policies,” she said.

Yingluck, though banned from politics, remains the unofficial face of the party and toured Thailand extensively last year, meeting with rural supporters.

Junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha, who led the 2014 coup, has made no secret of his disdain for the Shinawatras. In 2010, he favored a heavy-handed approach to an army crackdown on red-shirted Shinawatra supporters that killed more than 90 people.

The junta’s attempts to repress the Shinawatra clan and its movement, and even introduce its own farm subsidies for the politically-powerful farmers, are not working, many in the rice fields of the northeast say.

“The more the military pushes the Puea Thai Party the more sympathy the party gets,” Rotcharin Waratsirisophon, 54, a party member told Reuters in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen.

“Puea Thai is even more popular now.”

Next in Line

With Yingluck and her brother sidelined for next year’s scheduled elections, other potential movement leaders have emerged.

One is another of Thaksin’s sisters, Monthathip Kovitcharoenkul, 58, a businesswoman.

Yingluck has told reporters Monthathip has no interest in politics.

The other is veteran politician Sudarat Keyuraphan, 56, a former agriculture minister and a former deputy leader of Thaksin’s now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party.

Sources in the party said Sudarat was the favorite but some party members prefer a candidate from within the Shinawatra family.

Acting Puea Thai Party secretary-general, Phumtham Wechayachai, said it was too soon to talk about party nominations. “We have to wait until an election date has been confirmed. We can’t do much at the moment,” Phumtham told Reuters.

Politics has been put on hold in Thailand, partly out of respect for late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, whopassed away last October and whose cremation will take place in October.

The junta, which calls itself the National Council on Peace and Order, has also cracked down on dissent by tightening restrictions on the media and silencing activists through imposing the kingdom’s strict lese-majeste and cybercrime laws.

Whatever new government comes in will still have to deal with the military. The new constitution the generals have implemented introduces a military-appointed senate and requires any future government to follow the junta’s 20-year development plan.

By Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Panu Wongcha-um– Reuters

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Additional reporting by Aukkarapon Niyomyat and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Writing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Bill Tarrant

Thailand Politics

Thai Prime Minister’s Popularity Declines as Move Forward Party dominates

(CTN News) – Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin continues to make local and international visits to try to solve problems and promote Thailand, but he has failed to impress most voters, according to a Nida poll. The poll also revealed the declining popularity of Pheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra and the rise of the Move Forward Party.

According to a poll released on Sunday, only 12.85% of people supported the prime minister, down from 17.75% in the previous survey. The daughter of convicted former Prime Minister Thaksin, currently on parole, saw her popularity drop from 6% to 4.85%.

The National Institute of Development Administration conducts a quarterly survey of the public’s preferred political leaders. The last survey was released at the end of March.

According to the survey, supporters of the prime minister described Mr Srettha as a resolute decision-maker determined to address their problems. Ms Paetongtarn was complimented for her vision, leadership, knowledge, and grasp of the country’s difficulties.

This weekend, the prime minister will be in the northeast region listening to citizens’ concerns. The journey occurred only a few days after he had visited northern provinces earlier in the week.

Despite criticism, he has reduced his abroad trips, citing the need to showcase Thailand to investors and traders.

Pita Limjaroenrat, the chief advisor of the Move Forward Party, remained the top candidate for prime minister with 45.50% of the vote, up slightly from 42.75% in the previous quarter’s poll.

Pirapan Salirathavibhaga was the huge winner. The leader of the United Thai National Party saw his popularity nearly quadruple from 3.55% to 6.85%.

The sampled voters stated they appreciated Mr Pita’s political beliefs and thought he had broad knowledge. They praised Mr Pirapan’s credibility, claiming he was clean and honest.

Two other probable prime minister candidates were Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan of the Thai Sang Thai Party and Anutin Chanvirakul, leader of Bhumjaithai. However, they were less popular than others.

About 20% of voters still did not believe any candidate was qualified to lead the country, which is the same percentage as in the last survey.

Move Forward Party was the most popular party with 49.20%, up slightly from three months ago, while Pheu Thai fell around five percentage points to 16.85% from 22.10%.

The poll, issued on Sunday, surveyed 2,000 ineligible voters between June 14 and June 18.

Thailand Politics

Move Forward Party MP Jirat Thongsuwan Appeals Suspended Jail Sentence for Defamation

(CTN News) – Jirat Thongsuwan, a Move Forward Party MP, says he would appeal his one-year suspended jail sentence for defaming a former senior defense ministry official concerning the state’s procurement of bogus bomb detectors.

The Criminal Court also fined Mr Jirat 100,000 baht for falsely accusing ACM Tharet Punsri, a former Air Force chief-of-staff who later became the ministry’s deputy permanent secretary, of being the chairman and shareholder of a company that supplied the military with the infamous GT200 bomb detectors.

The Chachoengsao MP claimed a July 20, 2022, no-confidence vote against cabinet ministers in Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government. ACM Tharet was not a cabinet member.

Jirat Thongsuwan also identified ACM Tharet as a key figure in the 2006 coup headed by then-army chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, which overthrew Thaksin Shinawatra.

ACM Tharet told the court that Jirat Thongsuwan’s charges were false and harmed his reputation. He denied involvement with the bomb detection company and said he was not the company’s senior chairman or shareholder.

In addition to the suspended jail term and fine, the court ordered Jirat Thongsuwan to pay $ 500,000 baht in damages to ACM Tharet and publish an apology in three newspapers for five days.

Jirat Thongsuwan later announced on his X account that he had challenged the verdict with the hashtag “An injustice is infuriating”.

The MP has also been accused of dodging required military conscription. He admitted to the accusation on May 8.

A British business promoted the GT200 as a “remote substance detector” and sold it in several countries. Between 2004 and 2009, fourteen Thai government organizations, most of which were military, were projected to spend 1.4 billion baht on the units.

Concerns about the GT200 and related gadgets arose after the National Science and Technology Development Agency discovered they lacked electronic components.

The devices were later revealed to be “divining rods”.

Thailand Politics

Thaksin Shinawatra Files 100 Million Baht Defamation Lawsuit Against Warong Dechgitvigrom

(CTN News) – Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister, has launched a defamation action against Warong Dechgitvigrom, the head of the Thai Pakdee Party, accusing him of paying a bribe to be released on bail in a lese majeste case.

Thaksin’s attorney, Winyat Chartmontree, filed a lawsuit against Warong, seeking 100 million baht in damages.

Warong, a long-time Thaksin Shinawatra critic, gave a public statement and posted on social media, saying that 2 billion baht was paid to judicial officials in exchange for release on bail in the lese majeste case.

Thaksin Shinawatra Granted Release on 500,000 Baht Bond

Thaksin was granted release on a 500,000 baht bond last week and told not to leave the country without court authorization after pleading innocent to charges of defaming King Rama IX in a 2015 interview with South Korean media.

Winyat stated that, while Warong did not identify Thaksin Shinawatra by name in his speech or post, he did include a hashtag with Thaksin’s name as well as the date Thaksin must appear in court, allowing readers to connect Thaksin to the allegations.

Winyat further stated that he was investigating the fact that Warong mentioned the specific aircraft and automobiles utilized by Thaksin Shinawatra to violate the Personal Data Protection Act.

“I have requested Mr Warong to provide proof as to where he received the data. “If it turns out that it came from state officials, there will be legal consequences,” he warned.

The Criminal Court has scheduled the case’s preliminary hearing for September 30.