The Constitutional Court of Thailand recently ruled that efforts spearheaded by the opposition Move Forward Party (MFP) to amend the royal insult law are illegal. This development mandates stopping any lobbying for alterations. The verdict paves the way for potential political prohibitions for the party and any members who breach the law.
This judgement stems from a complaint alleging that the MFP breached the “lèse-majesté” law during the 2023 elections in the country. The party had campaigned with a promise of reform, including a vow to changes in Section 112 of the Criminal Code. As per the law, anyone denigrating, mocking or threatening the King, Queen, Heir-apparent or Regent will face imprisonment ranging from three to fifteen years. The implementation of this law has been seen in a recent case where a man received a 50-year jail sentence for social media posts that were construed as defamation against the royal family.
The lèse-majesté law has, over the years, often been utilized as a tool to suppress political opposition, dissenting parties, and critics of the government. Earlier this month, Thai activist and attorney Aaron Nampa was sentenced to four years in prison for criticizing King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s spending habits and extravagant displays of wealth.
In a statement made via social media, the MFP negated the notion that they aimed to inflict harm on the nation or overthrow the constitutional monarchy. The party expressed its worry about the aftermath of the ruling as it would bring difficulties for both monarchy and democracy and hamper government operations. Chaithawat Tulathon, leader of the Move Forward, shared that while they accepted the ruling, it would result in a diminution of political space and could potentially involve the presumably impartial monarchy deeper in politics.
At this point, it is worth noting that Palang Pracharath Party member Ruangkrai Leekitwattana has pledged to request the dissolution of the MFP for contravening the lèse-majesté law and aims to bar party leaders from political participation. In the past, Ruangkrai’s two petitions for party dissolution were rejected by the court.
Following a Constitutional Court ruling in 2020 that led to the dissolution of the Future Movement Party, the MFP, which emerged out of the ashes, won many seats in the 2023 elections but could not establish their prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat due to solid opposition from the conservatives in the government. The MFP, backed widely by Thai youth, now stands at a precipice of a similar fate despite Pita’s recent legal victory that sought to bar him from politics for electoral transgressions.
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