Thailand's coup leaders have freed former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra from their custody but asked that she cooperate with the military junta in maintaining peace and order amid the continuing protests.

Shinawatra's "quiet release" was confirmed by a highly placed source who asked not to be identified because of the volatility of the situation around Thailand. She was briefly held in custody after she was "invited" to report to junta on Friday.

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The source said the military junta asked Shinawatra to help maintain peace and order and requested her not to get involved with street demonstrations or any political gatherings. 

On Thursday, the Thai military took over Thailand after months of political unrest. Demonstrators took to the streets and paralyzed majority of government activities, while some led to violent and deadly clashes in the streets of Bangkok. 

The source insisted that Shinawatra has been granted freedom of movement and communications, but this was contradicted by a close aide of the ex-Prime Minister. The aide contradicted the military's claim that Shinawatra can freely move around. 

On Saturday, a military spokesperson said the junta has required around 500 people to appear before the National Council for Peace and Order. They include members of the academe and Sondhi Limthongkul, leader of the Yellow Shirt movement and one of Shinawatra's opponents. 

The military spokesperson said they are summoning these people to have cooler heads prevail so that all can solve the political crisis immediately. The spokesperson said they want to give everybody "some time to relax and have time to think over the problem." 

The spokesperson added that the leaders of military council want those summoned to make adjustments with their perception, to think more about Thailand and its people, and not just any one particular group. 

The military junta has issued a curfew and shut down independent media coverage in the country. It has also dissolved the country's Senate according to state media outlets. 

TagsYingluck Shinawatra, custody, freedom of mobility, freedom of communications, Thailand, Coup D' Etat, Martial Law