Roundup: U.S. diplomat dismisses rumors of former Thai PM Yingluck seeking asylum in U.S.

The United States charge d' affaires on Wednesday dismissed hearsay that former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has sought asylum in the United States.

Patrick Murphy, charge d'affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Thailand, told reporters at the Government House that he had not been informed of such rumors to the extent that Yingluck might have requested political asylum in the United States while she is currently facing a criminal lawsuit in court.

Neither was such a matter discussed during his meeting with Deputy Premier Yongyut Yuthawong at the Government House on Wednesday, he said.

The U.S. charge d'affaires and the Thai deputy premier discussed government aid programs for underprivileged persons and anti-AIDS vaccines.

However, Murphy confirmed that the U.S. government has sustained hopes to see democratic rule return to Thailand in accordance with a "roadmap" laid out by the National Council for Peace and Order, the ruling junta headed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Yingluck earlier met with Daniel Russel, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, at the residence of the U.S. Ambassador in Bangkok following last month's impeachment of the former lady leader by the Thai National Legislative Assembly which delivered her a five-year ban from politics.

She was feared by the Thai authorities to possibly evade court proceedings after the Office of the Attorney General has filed to the Supreme Court the duty-negligence charges against her involving in the alleged corruption in the previous government's rice subsidy program.

Meanwhile, Gen Prayut said the prosecuting agency, which is scheduled to file the lawsuit in the next few weeks, had recommended that Yingluck be barred from going abroad for the time being.

"The Office of the Attorney General recommended against ( Yingluck's) going abroad and I followed such recommendations," said the premier.

The defendant needs to appear in court on the date of the opening trial on the case; otherwise, it cannot be proceeded further. The court proceedings will not be affected by possible absence of the defendant at later dates, according to the Thai judicial law.

Court verdicts can be finally delivered with the defendant in absentia as in the case of former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra, brother of Yingluck's, who had managed to evade the court proceedings several years ago and to remain in exile since.

In another development, Noravit Lalaeng, lawyer for Yingluck, criticized the military in northern Thailand for conducting unwarranted search on a van in which the former lady leader was riding on Tuesday.

"That was obviously a violation of basic human rights and freedom. Yingluck never disobeyed the orders of the NCPO either when she was in the country or went abroad. She never caused any political disturbances at all," said the lawyer.

Deputy Premier and Defense Minister Pravit Wongsuwan argued that the military had merely acted to provide "security" for Yingluck as she was traveling in Chiang Mai province where she was born and raised.

He said he did not believe the former lady leader might try to evade court proceedings by slipping out of the country and remaining in exile. Endi