The former Prime Minister of Thailand was banned from politics by the National Assembly and just fall under indictment for corruption.
It's a double penalty for Yingluck Shinawatra who was responding in a statement after canceling his press conference because of martial law:
"Democracy is dead in Thailand, together with respect for the law."
Yesterday, she had tried to defend his position in the National Assembly, in vain.
The Assembly is composed of members appointed by the perpetrators of the coup of May 2014. This is the first time in the history of the country that passed a similar ban. And a few hours earlier, prosecutors announced the indictment of the former Prime Minister of corruption relating to rice farmers a subsidy program.
In the streets of Bangkok, is responding to these news:
"It rice subsidy scheme is unforgivable because there was corruption and it caused huge losses to the country. Everything in which Thai society believed deteriorated because the rules have been broken. "
"I do not think that's fair. Is to suppress the political rights of someone to take the advantage! "
Yingluck, 47 years old, should be put in early March by then review and banned from leaving the country. She faces up to 10 years in prison in addition to being cut off from life poltique for 5 years.
Yingluck had followed the lead of his brother Thaksin, a former telecommunications magnate in exile, taking the head of government in 2011, after the victory of his party in parliamentary elections.
Despite his attempts to reconcile the country deeply divided, Yingluck's opponents have always seen this as a political novice puppet of his brother, sworn enemy of the elite, worried his electoral popularity, particularly in the north and north-east of the farm countries.
Thai junta is now accused of trying to permanently eliminate the influential Shinawatra clan politics, while the question of the succession of King Bhumibol, 87 years old, the supreme taboo in Thailand.
According to analysts, the prohibition of Yingluck political activity, coupled with a conviction in court, is part of the process of elimination.
Thailand, deeply divided between pro and anti-Shinawatra, is facing a recurring political crisis since the 2006 coup against Thaksin Shinawatra. It took the path of exile to escape prison on corruption charges already.
But longer term, the situation may be untenable for the junta, which ensures a firm lead "reconciliation" national, while greatly restricting civil liberties, analysts said.
"In the medium and long term, the grievances will accumulate on the side supporters of Yingluck and Thaksin" and end with "back to the surface," said AFP Thitinan Pongsudhirak, the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, describing like many political scientists Thailand as a pressure cooker.
The Red Shirts have made very discreet since the coup. Before the overthrow of the government, they had avoided any direct confrontation with protesters who called for months falling Yingluck up being heard by the military.
Yingluck, however, had managed to deal with protesters demanding his head for months without losing his calm, playing the card of wear. Since the coup, she noticed a few token appearances, including at the hospital that is treating King Bhumibol. It was to defend the monarchy that the army did the coup.
