Conceding to pressure from authorities, the former Prime Minister has warned her supporters against coming to court tomorrow when her verdict will be announced, fearing the risk of violence by a ‘third party’.
On 24 August 2017, former PM Yingluck Shinnawatra posted on her Facebook page that her supporters should stay at home on the judgement day of the Rice Pledging Scheme case in order to avoid possible violence as the security branches have repeatedly warned.
“I realised the good wishes and kindness of the people who notice the sorrow and difficulty I’m facing. But I think that [if you] travel to the court to show me support this time, we will be unable to see each other’s faces or express our feelings like every previous times because the security branches regulate those who come to the court differently from before,” read Yingluck’s post.
As such, she suggests her supporters watch the judgement from home to avoid the risk of violence from a so-called ‘third party’ and those who have bad intentions.
On this Friday, The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions will read the verdict of Yingluck on the Rice Pledging Scheme case. If found guilty, she will have to pay 35 billion baht in damages, equal to 20 per cent of the estimated total loss arising from the policy.
It is highly expected that numbers of people will go to the court tomorrow to show Yingluck support and solidarity as they always did whenever Yingluck was summoned to attend the trials.
Citing the fear of disorder and violence, however, the junta has shown many attempt to blocked those supporters from coming to the court.
“You (media) have to tell people that they don’t have to come. Just watch it from home. There’s no point in coming,” said the junta head.
The closer to 25 August, the more intimidating the the junta gets. During the past week, security officers have visited people in various provinces, especially in the north and northeast where Yingluck popularity is relatively high.
For example, soldiers have visited a village in Lamphun and asked people whether they will go to the court to support Yingluck. They also convinced the villagers to stay home and watch the judgement through media, reasoning that traveling to Bangkok might cause a traffic jam.
On 22 August, police officers board a train in Lampang to intercept Redshirts who potentially head to Bangkok for Yingluck’s verdict. On 23 August, soldiers search a bus in Phichit for Yingluck’s supporters.
Police officers board a train in Lampang (Photo from Khaosod English)
Soldiers board search a bus in Phichit (Photo from Khaosod English)