The Constitutional Court of Thailand today announced a verdict to dissolve the Move Forward Party (MFP) over their efforts to reform the lese majeste law, also known as Section 112 of the Criminal Law, and ban the managing executives of the party for 10 years.

 

In April, the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) requested that the Constitutional Court consider dissolving the MFP due to its promotion of the reformation of Section 112 during last year’s General Election. The ECT argued that these reforms posed a threat to both the monarchy and the democratic form of government with the king as head of state.

 

After five months of deliberation and rescheduling the verdict announcement, the Constitutional Court delivered its decision at 3pm today, agreeing with the ECT to dissolve the party.

 

In addition to the dissolution, the court imposed a 10-year ban on 11 members of the party’s executive teams who held positions between March 25, 2021, and July 31, 2024. The list of affected party members includes:

 

• The first party leader – Pita Limjaroenrat
• The first Secretary-General of the party and the second party leader – Chaithawat Tulathon
• The Party Treasurer – Nateepat Kulsetthasith
• The Party Member Register – Nakornpong Suppanimitr
• The Northern Executive Committee – Padipat Suntiphada
• The Southern Executive Committee – Somchai Fangchonlajit
• The Central Executive Committee – Amarat Chokepamitkul
• The Northeastern Executive Committee and second Secretary-General of the party – Apichat Sirisoontron
• The Eastern Executive Committee – Bencha Saengchantra
• The Labour Department Executive Committee – Suthep U-on
• The Executive Committee – Apisit Promrit

 

These 11 members are now banned for 10 years from serving as MPs, forming a new political party, joining the executive management team of any political party, or participating in the establishment of a new political party.

 

Following the dissolution, the MFP now has 142 Members of Parliament (MPs), and each MP must seek a new political party within 60 days to avoid losing their status. They would also have to select the new party leader to work during their transitions.

 

One MFP MP, Jirat Thongsuwan, told the media recently that an assistant to a minister asked him to join his party for 30 million baht.

 

Parliament also has to select a new Vice President of the House of Representatives as the former Vice President Padipat was one of those banned.

 

The official MFP Facebook account shared a video after their dissolution with a caption that said, “In this world, there are some things that cannot be destroyed and cannot perish but will continue to grow without stopping. A new journey has begun. Let’s move forward together, people.”

 

Deprose Muchena, Senior Director at Amnesty International slammed the court’s decision.

 

“The Constitutional Court’s ruling in favour of dissolving the Move Forward Party is an untenable decision that reveals the authorities’ complete disregard for Thailand’s international human rights obligations.

 

“Dissolving the party merely for advocating legal reforms constitutes a serious violation of the rights to freedom of expression and association against lawmakers who were simply performing their duty of proposing laws.

 

“The authorities’ relentless harassment of the political opposition represents a stark contradiction, as Thailand has publicly committed to global leadership on human rights by applying for a seat at the UN Human Rights Council. Thai authorities must urgently reverse the dissolution and stop weaponising laws to intimidate and harass critics, human rights defenders and opposition politicians.”

 

 

By Petch Petpailin

Photo by Sakchai Lalit via AP

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-08-07

 

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Poor Thailand .

Just lost the last little bit of " face " .

11 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Following the dissolution, the MFP now has 142 Members of Parliament (MPs), and each MP must seek a new political party within 60 days to avoid losing their status.

 

PTP will bag a fair amount of them.

12 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

The official MFP Facebook account shared a video after their dissolution with a caption that said, “In this world, there are some things that cannot be destroyed and cannot perish but will continue to grow without stopping. A new journey has begun. Let’s move forward together, people.”

 

 

Best of Luck .

17 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

s Thailand has publicly committed to global leadership on human rights by applying for a seat at the UN Human Rights Council.

 

No seat for them .

17 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Thai authorities must urgently reverse the dissolution and stop weaponising laws to intimidate and harass critics, human rights defenders and opposition politicians.”

They will not .

In the end they not care about what reputation they have in the world ... as long as the leaders in Thailand ... stay in their position .

No change wanted here .

Well let's move backwards 🥴

What a farce thai politics is hopefully the rest of the world will complain but with what's going on in the rest of the world i doubt it  the eletes don't care what the small folks think

7 minutes ago, John Drake said:

 

PTP will bag a fair amount of them.

Don't know about that. All the MPs that turned to other parties when Future Forward was banned lost their seats in the subsequent election. 

Move Forward have a backup party to move to. Meanwhile Pita etc will still maintain a public profile as Thanathorn, Piyabutr, Chor, the ex leaders of FF, do in the Progressive Movement.

ANd now, with the bans, the Phew Thai is now the dominant party.  Image that.

Exactly the outcome which was decided some months ago. No surprise. What will happen now is the interesting bit. The power of the minority elite and the military can not and will not be challenged through democratic means. Will the Thai people rise up and force reform?

Just now, dinsdale said:

Will the Thai people rise up and force reform?

here's to hoping so!

 

there is nothing left to lose..

 

bob.

12 minutes ago, John Drake said:

 

PTP will bag a fair amount of them.

Noooooooooo. You are so wrong. 

1 minute ago, bob smith said:

there is nothing left to lose.

Well except life and liberty  nothing left to loose ! 😢

Just now, johng said:

Well except life and liberty  nothing left to loose ! 😢

are you scared to die?

 

bob.

5 minutes ago, Rotweiler said:

ANd now, with the bans, the Phew Thai is now the dominant party.  Image that.

PTP are well in the cross hairs of the military/elite/royalists. Next week the PTP PM will get the chop.  

8 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Will the Thai people rise up and force reform?

Unlike the Myanmar people, Thai's lack any type of backbone to demand anything, they will continue to act as obedient servants to the Elites.

And now we know what happens when the people get behind a "non-sanctioned" candidate.

MFP really scared and pissed off the old guard. I reckon they would all be dead if the cronies could swing it without it backfiring

10 minutes ago, bob smith said:

are you scared to die?

 

bob.

 

When you die the 😽party is over.

 

Not afraid to die but definitely FOMO

There was some hope that Thailand would be accepted as country on the way to humanity, equal rights, freedom and  justice. Even a kind of democracy appeared on the horizon.

All shattered now.

Sad☹️😭

12 minutes ago, bob smith said:

are you scared to die?

Yes  (as are most human beings not AI)  however there are worse things than death  like being being locked up in a squalid prison and tortured for 20 years till one would "confess"

to anything  9/11  !!!  for example.

Really sad...........🤔

A DARK DAY FOR THAILAND AFTER COURT DISSOLVED MOVE FORWARD PARTY

 

Are Thais living in a democracy when 14 million votes can be easily ignored by the Constitutional Court?

 

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/opinion/2024/08/07/a-dark-day-for-thailand-after-court-dissolved-move-forward-party/

21 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Will the Thai people rise up and force reform?

You would hope so and the people of most countries with any self respect would.  However, the people's failure to respond to the election sham in any meaningful way points to the fact that they will not.

 

I spoke to several Thai's following the election and the mood seems to be that whatever they do, it will be a waste of time.  They seem resigned to the fact that they will be s h a t on forever.

 

We can but hope that their application for a seat on the UN HRC is now denied, as it almost certainly will be now and that stirs up something but somehow I doubt even that.  They will consider they will lose face by being denied a seat but they will lose more face, closer to home if the court's decision is overturned.

 

Absolute disgrace - much the same as the c r a p that the Thai public has been expected to believe with the Thaksin fiasco. This and all previous governments + the military and judiciary treat the Thai people like 5 year olds and just spout whatever childish rubbish they like.

 

Oh, and there's no sex for sale in Pattaya either - another line fed to the public.

Well, this has been settled. In an astonishing development the court has decided to completely abolish the Move Forward party, the most popular party in the country. 

 

Thailand's Constitutional Court has ruled to dissolve the opposition Move Forward Party (MFP) and ban its executives, including the duly elected PM Pita, from political office for 10 years. 

 

The progressive political party won the most seats at the last election in 2023, but was blocked from forming a government last year by conservative forces in the military-appointed Senate. 

 

A rather astonishing bit of continued regression. Woe are the people of Thailand. 

5 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

You would hope so and the people of most countries with any self respect would.  However, the people's failure to respond to the election sham in any meaningful way points to the fact that they will not.

 

I spoke to several Thai's following the election and the mood seems to be that whatever they do, it will be a waste of time.  They seem resigned to the fact that they will be s h a t on forever.

 

We can but hope that their application for a seat on the UN HRC is now denied, as it almost certainly will be now and that stirs up something but somehow I doubt even that.  They will consider they will lose face by being denied a seat but they will lose more face, closer to home if the court's decision is overturned.

 

Absolute disgrace - much the same as the c r a p that the Thai public has been expected to believe with the Thaksin fiasco. This and all previous governments + the military and judiciary treat the Thai people like 5 year olds and just spout whatever childish rubbish they like.

 

Oh, and there's no sex for sale in Pattaya either - another line fed to the public.

Worldwide condemnation and international shame and humiliation is the most we can ask for at this point. 

15 minutes ago, anchadian said:

A DARK DAY FOR THAILAND AFTER COURT DISSOLVED MOVE FORWARD PARTY

 

Are Thais living in a democracy when 14 million votes can be easily ignored by the Constitutional Court?

 

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/opinion/2024/08/07/a-dark-day-for-thailand-after-court-dissolved-move-forward-party/

No. Thailand is NOT a democracy. It is what I would refer to as a gentle junta. After all, the army negotiated with Thaksin, and he sold his soul and his party to them. 

A sad day for 14million Thai voters.

Any company thinking to invest in Thailand or has invested will surely think again.

Keep a close eye on the Thai baht value

38 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

Unlike the Myanmar people, Thai's lack any type of backbone to demand anything, they will continue to act as obedient servants to the Elites.

I think that's a bit unfair. There are some who have protested and are in prison. I think one girl died as well. 

 

38 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

Unlike the Myanmar people, Thai's lack any type of backbone to demand anything, they will continue to act as obedient servants to the Elites.

 

Sex tourists could also vote with their feet, but sex tourists like doing their sex touristy things, so they remain in Thailand and support whichever government does the best to keep the population dumb.

4 minutes ago, kimamey said:

I think that's a bit unfair. There are some who have protested and are in prison. I think one girl died as well. 

Many have took refuge in Lao and Cambodia never to be seen again.