Thailand and its former prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, are awaiting a Supreme Court verdict that could send her to prison for ten years and have a profound effect on the future of Thai politics.
Shinawatra is accused of negligence in implementing a rice subsidy programme that by some estimates cost the Thai government as much as $17bn (£13bn). The verdict is due tomorrow.
"An essential part of Ms Yingluck's winning manifesto was a generous promise to rice farmers," says the BBC. "That is at the heart of the legal case against her,"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Under her programme, the government was to buy the entire rice crop, paying above the price guaranteed under the previous government. Farmers were happy but economists and experts questioned the scheme's viability. When the programme proved unsustainable, corruption allegations followed.
However, the case against Yingluck is seen by many in Thailand as political rather than judicial, says the Chicago Tribune.
She herself has described the case as a "political game", saying the military wish to crush the family dynasty, having ousted her brother Thaksin as Prime Minister in 2006. In 2014, Yingluck's government was also ousted in a military coup.
If she is found guilty, the military will have to deal with what comes next. "Any imprisonment of Yingluck would not be good for the image of the ruling National Council for Peace and Order," The Nation website reports. "Her imprisonment would make her a more sympathetic figure and could elevate her to the status of a 'democracy icon'," much like Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi.
A guilty verdict might also be used by Yingluck’s Pheu Thai Party to draw support ahead of the 2018 general election.
On the other hand, if the court dismisses the case against Shinawatra, "pressure from the anti-Thaksin camp will mount on the NCPO while it will be highlighted by the Pheu Thai in the run-up to the next general election," The Nation says.
-
Delhi's dogs earn Supreme Court reprieveIN THE SPOTLIGHT After an outcry from the public and animal rights activists, India's Supreme Court walks back a controversial plan to round the city's stray dog population into shelters
-
8 hotels with ace tennis courtsThe Week Recommends Bring your A game
-
Abrego released from jail, faces Uganda deportationSpeed Read The wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego García is expected to be detained at an ICE check-in and deported to Uganda
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
Thailand, Cambodia agree to ceasefire in border fightSpeed Read At least 38 people were killed and more than 300,000 displaced in the recent violence
-
At least 12 dead in Thai-Cambodian clashesSpeed Read Both countries accused the other of firing first
-
The mounting tensions between Thailand and CambodiaThe Explainer Long-running border disputes are at a decade high, as protesters in Thailand demand the prime minister's resignation
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
