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Former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has pleaded not guilty in a brief hearing at the start of her trial on charges of negligence, the BBC reports.

She faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of dereliction of duty over her role in a controversial rice subsidy scheme.

She told crowds outside the court in Bangkok she would prove her innocence.

Ms Yingluck was forced to step down last year shortly before a military coup.

She maintains that the charges she faces are intended to keep her out of politics. The next hearing in the trial has been scheduled for 21 July.

Meanwhile her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra - himself ousted as prime minister by a previous coup in 2006 - has made a rare public appearance in Seoul, South Korea, saying he believed "democracy will prevail" in Thailand.

Thailand's Constitutional Court forced Ms Yingluck from office in early May 2014 after finding her guilty of abusing her power. Weeks later, the military seized power saying it needed to restore order following months of street protests.

In January this year, Ms Yingluck was retroactively impeached by a military-appointed legislature for her role in the rice subsidy scheme. She was also banned from politics for five years.