February 24,2012(ANN)-Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has issued an emotional response to what she called a "nonsense" attack against her recent controversial presence at the Four Seasons Hotel, and has filed a defamation suit.
After days of controversy and a war of words between the government and the opposition as well as by supporters of both sides on social media, Yingluck wrote on her Facebook page yesterday that the visit to the Four Seasons Hotel was meant to exchange ideas with a group of businessmen.
It was her longest and most detailed response so far to charges of improper conduct.
"The Executive Club on the seventh floor [of the hotel] where we met is an open space. I joined the meeting to listen to suggestions and discuss problems related to the economy and the country's situation. The meeting was aimed at benefiting the country. There are a lot of eyewitnesses to the meeting such as hotel staff, waiters, and security guards," her Facebook page stated.
Information about the meeting was not relayed to the media because the businessmen did not want to be in the news, Yingluck wrote.
"There was neither discussion of personal business, land expropriation for floodways, delaying of land evaluation, nor facilitating benefits for anyone as has been alleged," her Facebook stated.
Yingluck said she had not reacted to the "nonsense" accusation at first because it was a political game, which she was not keen to get involved in.
"I dedicate myself to work for the people. As an executive, I believe my performance will prove my sincerity. I reaffirm that I won't act for personal benefit or for any person or a group of people. My every act is for the happiness and prosperity of the people as a whole," her Facebook message said.
Regarding the allegation that she had skipped a House meeting and parliamentary work by visiting the hotel on February 8, she clarified there were no meetings on the agenda that involved her in the afternoon. But after finishing the meeting with the businessmen, she returned for the House meeting in the evening.
She also rejected the accusation that she had skipped answering a question about her visit to Four Seasons Hotel, raised by Democrat Party MP for Samut Songkhram Rangsima Rodrasamee, at a House meeting on February 16.
She said that on that day she was on duty, visiting flood-hit areas in Lop Buri and Ayutthaya. She said she had assigned Deputy Prime Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha to answer the question on her behalf, which is allowed by House regulations.
Meanwhile, Yingluck filed three police complaints for defamation against four Democrats in connection with accusations related to the Four Seasons Hotel meeting.
Yingluck's legal team lodged the complaints yesterday at Lumpini Police Station, targeting three Democrat MPs and a party spokesman.
The MPs are Thepthai Senpong, Sirichok Sopha and Mallika Boonmeetrakul. Democrat spokesman Chavanond Intara-komalyasut is also on the list of the accused.
"The police complaints are necessary to defend the integrity of PM Yingluck in her role as a woman and mother," Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said.
Prompong said the accused had smeared the reputation and dishonoured Yingluck and her family beyond the airing of criticism of a public figure.
In the first case, Thepthai, Sirichok and Chavanond were accused of making malicious remarks against Yingluck in a talk show aired on February 15 by Blue Sky Channel, a satellite television station.
In the second case, Chavanond gave various interviews from February 15-21, accusing Yingluck of conflict of interest.
Mallika has been accused of portraying Yingluck as unfit to be a mother and to serve in the position of prime minister.
Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Maj-General Anuchai Lekbumrung said the Lumpini police would handle the complaints as three separate cases.
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