Thailand’s former PM faces court
The trial of Thailand’s former prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, comes to an end this month On July 21, her fate will be determined by the Supreme Court, overseen by the military junta which runs Thailand in her place. Following her brother in both her elected political office and scandalous exit, Ms Yingluck may soon follow him into exile as well, rather than face a potential 10-year stint in prison.
Despite her brother’s ouster in 2006 on corruption charges, Yingluck was elected in 2011 on a platform of economic redistribution, Overthrown in a coup in 2014, she was retrospectively charged with abuse of power linked to rice subsidies that benefited Yingluck’s rural supporters but drove up prices for Thailand’s urban elite.
Ms Yingluck was threatened with more than $1 billion in fines last October and has since toured the country campaigning for her innocence.
With the country under military rule, this month’s sentence is expected to decide whether Yingluck can return to politics.