Thailand has once again strutted into the Guinness World Records. Everyone knows "world's longest kiss" (58 hours 35 minutes, 58 seconds) is cool and "most people in a seven-minute hula-hooping session" (4,483 young and young-at-heart) is awesome and "most Santa's elves in one place" (Bangkok, 700) is inspiring.
But last week was a record setter unlikely to be matched soon, let alone broken — unless by Thailand, of course: First female ex-premier indicted for criminal malfeasance after being impeached.
It happened at the Supreme Court, where there might eventually be a trial at the Criminal Division for Political Office-Holders. Judges, to be chosen from the Dika Court's panel on Tuesday, will ruminate on the indictment for a few weeks, then announce on March 19 if they will accept the case for trial.
Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)
The charge was brought by the Office of the Attorney-General, egged on by the National Anti-Corruption Commission. It centred on the rice-pledging disaster, when the ex-premier was premier. If there is a trial, the prosecutor will claim she failed to do her duty to halt both corruption and negligence in that populist car wreck.
An informal poll revealed that no official poll will ask citizens: "Do you think the case is politically motivated?" A proper poll would reveal, of course, her supporters and critics.
Last week's indictment, however, started the truly earnest debate over whether it is better or worse for the ruling martial law regime — and, yes, the nation — if the ex-premier fights or flees. No one knows what's in her mind about staying or leaving. Like an army commander asked if he intends to launch a coup, there is only one answer she and her retainers can give, which is either a lie or the truth, and no one knows which: "No I won't."
The military refused to allow her to leave a couple of weeks ago. Officers said — with the backing of ultimate commander Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha — that they didn't want to be blamed if she didn't show up for her indictment on Thursday.
Irony alert: She didn't show up. There's no requirement for it, something the National Council for Peace and Order apparently didn't realise. She will be ordered to attend a trial, if there's a trial. Her brother, the world's only fugitive ex-prime minister, for the moment at least, was present for his trial. He left in the face of an imminent verdict in order to take on a new identity as Lord Voldemort na Dubai.
The legal rules haven't changed, but everything else has. Little Sister has a grassroots following that has been completely docile in the post-coup atmosphere — docile but not dormant. Last week, Gen Prayut and martial law authorities ordered malls and stores in the iconic Ratchaprasong shopping area — Gaysorn Plaza, the once-torched CentralWorld, etc — to cancel most of their Chinese New Year celebrations on the extremely remote, off chance that red shirts would protest Herself's indictment.
There are important "ifs" ahead but if judges take the case and if the ex-premier gets on the witness stand and if the military regime keeps its own political promises, trial and election preparations could come close together, an interesting scenario to say the least.
That is why there are thoughtful voices suggesting that Lord Voldemort's family is more useful to both government and nation outside the country in a fugitive status, than inside the country fighting legal charges on the front pages of newspapers and among gossip mongers and renewed red-yellow rivalry.
The very first statement from the OAG, minutes after the indictment was handed to the court's clerks, was a vow to never oppose trips abroad. The prosecutors are OK with giving her another chance to leave and live overseas. Perhaps, in the heart of hearts, prosecutors hope she will.
The fabulist and former Democrat MP Thavorn Senniam hit the headlines for a day claiming that he had learned she had two planes standing by in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, ready to whisk her to political asylum in the United States. While he obviously has no idea how asylum works, Mr Thavorn did keep the issue in the public's mind. One of those excellent post-coup polls by the National Institute of Development and Administration claimed that 75% of the country either thinks the ex-premier should be allowed to leave or that the military should stay out of a matter better decided by the courts.
The Guinness World Record holder continues to cool her heels. Her supporters are quiet, too. It is the establishment that kicked her out of office that had a small blink last week, questioning its own decision to make a spectacle of a possible trial.