国际英语新闻:U.S. diplomat dismisses rumors of Yingluck's asylum seeking

BANGKOK, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The United States charge d' affaires attached to Bangkok dismissed hearsay on Wednesday that former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has sought asylum in the U.S.

Patrick Murphy, the U.S. charge d'affaires, told reporters at Government House that he had not been informed of such rumors to the extent that Yingluck might have requested for a political asylum in the U.S. while she is currently being faced with a criminal lawsuit.

Neither was such a matter discussed during his meeting with Deputy Premier Yongyut Yuthawong on Wednesday, he said.

The U.S. diplomat and the Thai deputy premier discussed government aid programs for underprivileged persons and anti-AIDS vaccines.

However, Murphy confirmed that the U.S. government has sustained hopes to see democratic rule return to Thailand in accordance with a "roadmap" laid out by the National Council for Peace and Order, headed by Premier Prayut Chan-o-cha who seized power in last May's coup.

Yingluck earlier met with Daniel Russel, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, at the residence of the U.S. ambassador to Bangkok, following last month' s impeachment of the former lady leader by the Thai National Legislative Assembly which delivered her a five-years ban from politics.

She was feared by the Thai authorities to possibly evade court proceedings after the Office of Attorney General has filed to the Supreme Court the duty-negligence charges against her involving alleged corruption in the previous government's rice subsidy program.

Meanwhile, Prayut said the prosecuting agency, which is scheduled to file the lawsuit in the next few weeks, had recommended that Yingluck be barred from going abroad for the time being.

"The Office of Attorney General recommended against (Yingluck's) going abroad and I followed such recommendations," said the premier.

The defendant needs to appear in court on the date of the opening trial, otherwise it cannot be proceeded further.

The court proceedings will not be affected by possible absence of the defendant at later dates, according to the Thai judicial law.

Court verdicts can be finally delivered with the defendant in absentia as in the case of former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra, brother of Yingluck, who had managed to evade the court proceedings several years ago and to remain in exile since.

In another development, Noravit Lalaeng, lawyer for Yingluck, criticized the military in northern Thailand for conducting unwarranted search on a van in which the former lady leader was riding on Tuesday.

"That was obviously a violation of basic human rights and freedom. Yingluck never disobeyed the orders of the NCPO either when she was in the country or went abroad. She never caused any political disturbances at all," said the lawyer.

Deputy Premier and Defense Minister Pravit Wongsuwan argued that the military merely acted to provide "security" for Yingluck as she was traveling in Chiang Mai province where she was born and raised.

He said he did not believe the former lady leader might try to evade court proceedings by slipping out of the country and remaining in exile.