US State Department Envoy Meets with Former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra

BANGKOK -Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra led by a small group of her former ministers had an informal meeting with the US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Daniel R. Russel at the US Embassy in Bangkok.

Ms Yingluck was accompanied by former deputy prime minister Niwattumrong Bunsongpaisarn, former foreign minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul and former secretary-general of the prime minister Suranant Vejjajiva.

The meeting was part of the US initiative to meet and hear the views of all political groups regarding the political situation since Thailand’s Military Seized power and instigated martial law in May 2014.

Former Foreign Minister Mr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul later told the media that the discussion touched on MsYingluck’s impeachment and the US administration was concerned with the political situation in Thailand.

He said Mr Russel also asked about when an election would be held in Thailand.

Gen Prayut said “The arrival of Mr Russel has nothing to do with the NLA’s (National Legislative Assembly) impeachment of Ms Yingluck, so I would like to ask the media not to link the visit and the impeachment case. The visit was just a coincidence. Regarding Mr Russel’s meeting with Ms Yingluck, they have the right to do so and that poses no problems to me.” according to MCOT

Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra must seek permission ahead of time from the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) if she wants to travel overseas, according to NCPO spokesman Col Winthai Suvaree.

He said Ms Yingluck has not requested to travel overseas, but said that she and others ordered by NCPO to request first must strictly adhere to the order.

Meanwhile, Pheu Thai party’s legal team Singthong Buachumhas been summoned by the junta to meet with Lt-Gen Kampanart Ruddit, commander of the First Army Region and director of Reconciliation Centre for Reform, on Tuesday.

Singthong said he received a phone call instructing him to see Lt-Gen Kampanart with the caller declining to explain why and telling him that he was ordered by his boss to call him.

However, the Pheu Thai member said he suspected his meeting tomorrow stemmed from a message he posted in his Facebook page regarding the abrupt cancellation of a press conference planned for last Friday by former prime ministerYingluckShinawatra following her impeachment by the National Legislative Assembly.

He said he was not worried about the meeting with the military insisting that he merely wanted to tell the public about the truth about the cancellation of the press conference which was his basic right.

However, he admitted that he had no idea whether he would be released after the meeting or would he be held in detention. – Thai PBS