Thai court says opposition Future Forward Party not guilty of opposing monarchy

 

FILE PHOTO: Thailand's opposition Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit speaks to his supporters as he leaves after reporting to a Bangkok police station to hear charges filed against him for organizing the country's biggest protest since the 2014 coup in December last year, Thailand, January 10, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File photo

 

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's Constitutional Court on Tuesday found key figures of the opposition Future Forward Party not guilty of opposing the country's monarchy, an allegation that could have seen the high-profile party banned in one of several ongoing cases against it.

 

The ruling was a relief for the opposition, which has said the anti-monarchy charges were politically motivated to suppress dissent against Thailand's government headed by a former military junta leader.

The court rejected the claims the party sought to overthrow Thailand's monarchy. The complaint also alleged the party is linked to the Illuminati, a secret society that conspiracy theorists believe seeks world domination.

 

"The accused have not acted in their rights and liberties to overthrow the constitutional monarchy," said Taweekiat Meenakanit, one of the judges.

 

King Maha Vajiralongkorn, 67, is a constitutional monarch, but in traditional culture, the monarch is revered as the country's protector and insulting the king is a criminal offence punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Seeking to abolish the monarchy is considered a grave offence.

 

Founded almost two years ago, Future Forward Party came third in last year's general election, which the opposition says was manipulated in favour of the pro-military Palang Pracharat Party.

 

Its leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, 41, has emerged as the most prominent opponent to the government that last year reinstalled former junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha, 65, as a civilian prime minister five years after he staged a military coup.

 

The Constitutional Court last year disqualified Thanathorn from his parliamentary seat and he also faces other legal cases.

 

Future Forward faces several other ongoing legal cases, including one alleging it violated laws governing political parties by accepting loans from party leader, auto-parts billionaire Thanathorn.

 

(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat; Writing by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Michael Perry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-21

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Future Forward Party escapes dissolution

By The Nation, Kunanon Kanjanatecha

 

Natthaporn Toprayoon interviewed by the press.

 

The Constitutional Court on Tuesday ruled as insufficient the evidence presented to dissolve Future Forward Party over allegations that the party was plotting to overthrow the constitutional monarchy system.

 

In its verdict, the judges said the evidence presented were not strong enough to warrant the party’s dissolution.

 

The majority of evidence presented to the court came from unreliable sources such as articles and messages on online media platforms while there was no evident action from the accused showing its intention to undermine the monarchy.

 

The allegation that the party had violated Section 49 of the Constitution was made by a former adviser of the Ombudsman’s Office chairman Natthaporn Toprayoon, who accused Future Forward of threatening the monarchy.

 

He also sought the dissolution of the party alleging that the party’s logo resembles the sign of Illuminati society, which allegedly tried to overthrow monarchies in European countries.

 

Future Forward is awaiting another judgement from the court in a case involving a Bt191-million loan that party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit gave his party. Article 72 of the Political Party Act BE 2560 prohibits political parties from receiving donations of money or assets from any sources which it knows are unlawful or have reasonable doubts of it being unlawful.

 

Article 92(3) of the same act allows the Constitutional Court to consider dissolving any political party that violates Article 72.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30380870

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-01-21

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