A week after the Thai military declared martial law, bringing political fighting to a halt, it has been learned that former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is no longer in military custody.
An anonymous source said to be very close to Shinawatra told CNN that the former PM had been released from a military camp.
She had been instructed to report to National Council for Peace and Order along with more than 100 other political figures on Friday.
After doing so, Shinawatra was eventually released.
The unnamed source told CNN that she had been instructed by military officials to steer clear of protesters and movements in order to help restore order and peace to the politically-torn country.
Free Yingluck #nocoup #thaicoup pic.twitter.com/engzm0CFHm
— ยิ่งลักษณ์ แฟนคลับ (@yingluck_FC) May 25, 2014
The Thai military stepped in and declared martial law following months of protests and repeated attempts by protesters to hijack election processes. The martial law advanced towards a full-on military coup d’état when it was determined that no resolution could be reached between opposing factions.
Though Shinawatra has been confirmed by multiple sources to have been let go following the meeting with military officials, there’s conflicting stories regarding the level of freedom with which she is able to move about the country.
Thai PM, Yingluck Shinnawatra is now under house arrest. http://t.co/FuK90nSiOz
— Kan Yuenyong (@sikkha) May 25, 2014
One person said that Shinawatra likely does not possess “freedom of mobility and communication”.
The military group is allegedly working to summon around 150 influential individuals within Thai politics in order to force a move forward in the country’s political future.
The council said that it wants these persons to “adjust their perception and make them think about the country, think about the Thai people as a whole, not just one particular group.”
Thai anti-coup protesters defy junta ban http://t.co/PkSBYNNrki #ThaiCoup pic.twitter.com/ZZ38w3SrnP
— SBS News (@SBSNews) May 25, 2014
Despite the largely peaceful response to the coup, there are already signs of unrest. Persons within the capital city of Bangkok are expected to organize protests on Monday in a continued expression of unhappiness with the military takeover.
#Thailand #coup: More than 1,000 anti-coup protesters defy junta ban with march #ThaiCoup http://t.co/0irjxSqlUm pic.twitter.com/zxbBAE0cCC
— ST Foreign Desk (@STForeignDesk) May 25, 2014
Since the coup, there has been no independent coverage of events allowed in the country. CNN’s international coverage was blacked out in the country.
Meanwhile, a number of Thai stations were back on the air after being shut down during the initial takeover.
Image via YouTube