CNN: Yingluck seeks asylum in UK

Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra greets her supporters while arriving at the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions in Bangkok on Aug 1 to give her closing statement on her rice-scheme case. (Photo by Patipat Janthong)

CNN reported on Friday that former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra was in London to seek political asylum as Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said Thailand already asked the Interpol to find her.

CNN, quoting a source in Yingluck's Pheu Thai Party, said she had left Dubai for London two weeks ago and was there to seek political asylum, confirming a Reuters report on Thursday she had left Dubai for London on Sept 11.



Gen Prawit said on Friday that he did not know Yingluck was in London. He said the Foreign Ministry had reported she was in Dubai and had not yet given him an update.



He said he had no idea on the present status of Yingluck in England and that the United Arab Emirates earlier promised to prevent her from making a political move.



Thailand already asked Interpol to find Yingluck, Gen Prawit said.



Despite her previous assurance not to flee, Yingluck disappeared shortly before Aug 25 when the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions was originally scheduled to deliver the ruling on her loss-ridden rice-pledging case.



Her absence caused the court to postpone the announcement to Wednesday, when it handed down a five-year jail term for her failure to stop fake and corrupt government-to-government sales of rice from the rice programme even though she had been aware of the irregularities.