Roundup: Thai ruling junta urged to let ex-leader Yingluck Shinawatra leave for Europe

The Thai ruling junta headed by Premier Prayut Chan-o-cha was suggested on Tuesday to allow former lady premier Yingluck Shinawatra to temporarily leave for Europe where she has been invited to give a briefing about the current Thailand.

Under the rules of the National Council for Peace and Order, the official name of the military junta who seized power in last year's coup from Yingluck's government, no politicians are allowed to leave the country without prior permission from court and from the ruling junta.

Nonetheless, former foreign minister Surapong Tovijakchaikul, viewed as staunchly loyal to the former lady leader, called on Gen Prayut, who orchestrated the bloodless coup during his time as army chief, to allow her to leave for Europe following an invitation from the European Parliament for her to give a briefing about Thailand's current political situation.

The European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs and Delegation for Relations with Southeast Asian Countries quietly sent a letter to Yingluck last month inviting her to brief European Parliament members about Thailand's current political situation, either in Brussels, Belgium or Strasbourg, France.

Yickluck was said to have not as yet responded to the European Parliament committee's letter since she apparently doubted she would be allowed by the Thai court and junta to leave.

Surapong assured that Yingluck will not take the opportunity, if ever granted by the Thai court and military-led government, to escape or take refuge overseas. On the other hand, she will give assurances to the Europeans that her country will eventually return to democratic rule by 2017 as designed by the Thai junta's "roadmap", Surapong said.

"Former premier Yingluck will certainly not talk bad about her own country in the presence of any people anywhere...The NCPO leader should rest assured that she will definitely make the European Parliament understand better about varied issues and situations in our country," he said, referring to Gen Prayut, who concurrently heads the military junta.

If the Prayut government finally allowed Yingluck to leave for Europe as invited, the image of Thailand in the eye of the European and world community would certainly improve, according to the former foreign minister.

He commented that the European Parliament panels had not set a schedule for Yingluck to visit Europe and give the requested briefing because, he said, they already realized that she could not do so without prior permission from the Thai court and ruling junta.

Meanwhile, Prayut criticized the European Parliament committee's letter to Yingluck as "inappropriate in terms of principle" because, he said, it should have been sent to the Thai foreign ministry, and not to the ex-premier.

He said it remains to be seen whether the court will allow her to leave as invited by the European Parliament. Even if the court did so in favor of the European Parliament, the NCPO is yet to give final permission for her to leave, he added.

Yingluck was impeached by the National Legislative Assembly, all members of which had been handpicked by Gen Prayut, and is currently banned from political arena due to alleged corruption charges filed against her involving a populist rice program implemented nationwide over the last few years.

She has been faced with criminal and civil lawsuits which could possibly cost her up to 14 billion U.S. dollars in payment to compensate for the alleged damages and losses of the rice program, if she was finally found guilty as charged in court. Endit