Former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra met with a top official from the US State Department today to discuss the political situation in Thailand and her recent impeachment, a ruling she says was politically motivated and unjust. Yingluck, who led the government toppled in the 22 May 2014 coup, met with US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Daniel Russel, and the US Charge dAffaires to Thailand, W. Patrick Murphy, at the official residence of the US Ambassador in Bangkok today. What she wants is justice and fairness, an aide who was present for the talks told Khaosod. They must stop using the procedures to bully her. She said, if the impeachment or legal cases against her turn out this way, the same standards must be applied to other cases, too. Like the cases against the previous governments. When an elected leader is removed from office, is deposed, and then impeached by authorities, the same authorities that conducted the coup, and then when a political leader is targeted with criminal charges at a time when the basic democratic processes and institutions in the country are interrupted, the international community is going to be left with the impression that these steps could in fact be politically driven, Russel said. Russel stressed that the US would not be taking sides in Thailand’s domestic politics, but urged the junta to repeal martial law and all restrictions on freedom of expression.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 01:27:37 +0000
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