Former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra to be Indicted for Insulting Monarchy

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra Faces Charges of Insulting Monarchy

Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is set to be indicted on charges of insulting the monarchy, according to the country’s attorney-general. This comes as a significant development in the political landscape of Thailand, as Thaksin Shinawatra is a highly controversial figure in the country.

Shinawatra, who returned to Thailand last year after 15 years in exile, is facing charges over an interview he gave to a Korean newspaper nine years ago. The charges are being brought under Thailand’s lese majeste law, which has been widely used against political dissidents in the country.

The former prime minister is one of the most high-profile figures to be charged under this law, which has seen hundreds of people facing legal action in recent years. Despite his return to Thailand and efforts to reconcile with political opponents, the decision to indict him under the lese majeste law indicates that he still has enemies within the country’s powerful royalist establishment.

The charges against Shinawatra stem from comments he made in the 2015 interview, where he accused the king’s top advisory body, the privy council, of involvement in the 2014 military coup that ousted his sister Yingluck Shinawatra from power. Yingluck Shinawatra had been elected as prime minister in 2011 but was removed from office by the coup.

While Shinawatra’s lawyers have expressed confidence in defending him in court, the indictment may impact his political ambitions in the near future. The legal process in Thailand can be lengthy, and this development could force him to limit his involvement in politics until the case is resolved.

Overall, the indictment of Thaksin Shinawatra on charges of insulting the monarchy highlights the ongoing political tensions and power struggles in Thailand, where the lese majeste law continues to be a contentious issue.