Democracy is on defense in Thailand, says Pita Limjaroenrat
Washington PostJUL 21 2024
Thailand's top court ordered the dissolution of the Move Forward Party (MFP) on Wednesday over its pledge to reform the country's royal defamation law during last year's election campaign. The ruling is final and can't be appealed.
The court in Bangkok unanimously ruled that the party had sought to "undermin[e] the monarchy" by pushing for amendments to Section 112 of the Criminal Code, following a request from the election commission for the Constitutional Court to consider dissolving the MFP.
The ruling also banned 11 senior figures of the MFP from political office for 10 years, including former leader Pita Limjaroenrat and current chief Chaithawat Tulathon.
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The Thai monarchy suffers the most from the lèse-majesté law-related controversies, as these issues constantly drag the unifying national institution into political conflicts that it should transcend. The court's ruling doesn't say the law is unamendable, but rather reinforces the idea that the process must be done in good faith. Parliament, not political parties, must discuss and improve the law to serve the revered monarchy amid changing state dynamics — its inaction will harm the country to the point of no return.