Thai court dissolves party over monarchy campaign

[Pelican Press 0]

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Thai court dissolves party over monarchy campaign

A Thai court has ordered the dissolution of the popular anti-establishment opposition party Move Forward, which won national elections in 2023, saying it violated the constitution by proposing an amendment of a law against defaming the country’s royal family.

The Constitutional Court said it voted unanimously to dissolve the party because its campaign to amend the law was considered an attempt to overthrow the nation’s constitutional monarchy.

Thailand’s Election Commission filed a petition against the Move Forward Party after the Constitutional Court ruled in January that it must stop advocating changes to the law, known as Article 112, which protects the monarchy from criticism with penalties of up to 15 years in jail per offence.

The ruling on Wednesday also imposed a 10-year ban on political activity on those who held the party’s executive positions while it campaigned for the proposed amendment.

Among them are its charismatic former leader Pita Limjaroenrat and current chief Chaithawat Tulathon.

It ******** unclear what will happen to the rest of its non-executive legislators, although Pita said in an interview with the Associated Press the party would ensure they had a “smooth transition into a new house”, or a new party.

Legislators of a dissolved political party can keep their seats in parliament if they move to a new party within 60 days.

Move Forward and its reform agenda shook up Thai politics by winning the most seats in the 2023 elections, but was blocked from taking power.

The latest legal action is one of many that have drawn widespread criticism and are seen as part of a years-long ******* on the country’s progressive movement by ************* forces trying to keep their grip on power.

Human rights organisations have expressed concern about the case.

Amy Smith, executive director of the human rights group Fortify Rights, before the ruling called the attempt to disband Move Forward “a direct ******* on democratic principles” that “severely undermines Thailand’s commitment to human rights”.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has maintained the Thai justice system is fair and impartial, and the government cannot interfere with the judicial process.

Move Forward’s predecessor, the Future Forward party, was dissolved by the Constitutional Court in 2020 on charges of violating election laws on donations to political parties.

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