Thailand bans reformist leader, orders disbandment of party
Last Updated on August 9, 2024 9:49 am
Thailand’s court has ordered the dissolution of the “reformist” party Move Forward Party, which won the most seats in last year’s general election.
The BBC reported that the party won the election but was prevented from forming a government. The court ruling also banned the charismatic, youthful ex-leader of the Move Forward Party, Pieta Limjaroenaert, and 10 other senior leaders from politics for 10 years.
The party promised to reform Thailand’s draconian royal defamation laws during the election campaign. The Constitutional Court ruled in January that their reform promises were unconstitutional. The decision to disband the group was a foregone conclusion.
According to the media, Thailand’s Election Commission filed a court petition against the party. In the ruling, the court said that changing the strict lese-majesty laws (laws protecting the Thai monarchy from any form of criticism or defamation) amounted to calling for the overthrow of the constitutional monarchy.
However, this court ruling will not end the reformist movement in Thai politics. The Move Forward Party’s 142 MPs are expected to transfer to other registered parties and continue their role as the main opposition party in parliament.
Dissolving political parties is not a new phenomenon in Thailand. A similar incident happened in 2020. At that time too, the Future Forward Party, which had done unexpectedly well in the elections, was disbanded. That group later morphed into the Move Forward Party.
After a court ruling to dissolve the party four years ago, massive street protests led by a new generation of student activists ignited, lasting six months.
At that time there were unprecedented demands to make the monarchy more accountable.
Since then, authorities have made extensive use of lese-majesty laws to prosecute hundreds of protesters and leaders, including MPs from the Move Forward Party.
According to the BBC, the law has been widely criticized in the country for stifling freedom of expression, and the Move Forward party’s manifesto has proposed reducing the sentence.