NationThailand-Sept 10
The political battlefield has turned grim for the Red Camp, which has now suffered two major defeats despite winning one legal reprieve. Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, though spared from a lèse-majesté prosecution, was nevertheless ordered back to prison by the Supreme Court. The court rejected his defense that prolonged treatment at the Police General Hospital was justified, ruling instead that he must serve a one-year sentence in the so-called “14th-floor” case. Meanwhile, his youngest daughter and political heir, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was stripped of the premiership after the Constitutional Court ruled 6–3 that she had gravely violated ethical standards. The case centered on a leaked audio clip of her private conversation with Cambodia’s former prime minister Hun Sen regarding the Thai-Cambodian border dispute. Parliament delivered the final blow. The People’s Party (PPLE), holding 143 votes, threw its support behind Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of Bhumjaithai and adversary of the Red Camp. Despite having time to negotiate with the Move Forward bloc, Paetongtarn’s party set terms deemed unacceptable, pushing PPLE into an alliance with the conservatives instead. This sealed Anutin’s path to becoming Thailand’s 32nd prime minister, leaving Pheu Thai to lick its wounds in opposition.
Paetongtarn, visibly shaken, addressed reporters after the Supreme Court ordered her father back to jail. Fighting back tears, she said: “Thaksin remains a spiritual leader. His policies always aimed to improve the lives of ordinary people. Our family is worried, but we are proud of all that he has achieved for this country. Today marks another chapter in history: the first time a former prime minister must serve time in prison. It is painful, but both he and our family remain strong.” Read more at:
