Bangkok: former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to be freed shortly
His release is ostensibly for health reasons. The 74-year-old former PM is one of 930 inmates who benefitted from an amnesty for those in poor health or over 70 years old. The rumour mill recently began suggesting that he might be accused of lèse majesté, a charge he immediately rejected.
Bangkok (AsiaNews) – Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been granted parole and could be out in a few days, Thai Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong announced.
His released was largely expected, but its occurrence opens a new chapter, and not only for the businessman-turned-politician.
After coming home from voluntary exile last August, Thaksin was promptly jailed to purge an eight-year sentence, which was eventually reduced to one following a royal pardon.
This appears to be the result of a tacit agreement that saw the Pheu Thai (For Thais) party back in power; the latter is led by Thaksin’s daughter Paetongtarn, and has him as its reference.
As soon as he was released, Thaksin was moved to a military hospital for treatment amid rumours and much speculation.
The 74-year-old former prime minister, who was overthrown in a military coup in September 2006 and spent the next 15 years in exile, was part of an amnesty granted to 930 prisoners in poor health or over 70 years of age.
It is unclear whether he will be placed under restrictions, like an electronic bracelet, live with his family, or allowed to move freely and contact others.
Some think that he might get back in politics, working from behind the scenes, but at present nothing is certain about his future.
He remains a highly divisive figure who has greatly influenced Thai politics since the 1990s with strong appeal among poor Thais, but is a member of the billionaires' club, an oligopoly that controls the country along with the pro-monarchy elite and the Armed Forces.
The latter and Thaksin Shinawatra have repeatedly been at loggerheads – the same for the parties and movements that he inspired while in exile.
Recently, rumours began about fresh charges of lèse majesté against Thaksin, based on claims that he planned to become the country's first president based on an interview he gave in 2015 while in South Korea.
Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, but everything related to the ruling house is protected by a strict law with heavy penalties for those who express offensive or defamatory views about the royal institution.
Thaksin strongly rejected the accusations.
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20/09/2006
