A court in Thailand on Wednesday ordered the dissolution of the Move Forward Party, which finished first in last year’s general election, saying it contravened the constitution by proposing an amendment of a law against defaming the country’s royal family.
The Thai Constitutional Court said it voted unanimously to dissolve the party because its campaign proposal to amend the law amounted to an attempt to overthrow the nation’s constitutional monarchy.
The Move Forward Party was unable to form a government after topping the polls because members of the Thai Senate, at that time a military-appointed body, refused to endorse its candidate for prime minister.
Photo: Bloomberg
The Thai Election Commission had filed a petition against the party after the court in January ruled that it must stop advocating changes to the law, known as Article 112, which protects the monarchy from criticism with penalties of up to 15 years in jail per offense.
Move Forward has said that it wants to keep the monarchy above politics and not be exploited as a political tool.
The court on Wednesday also imposed a 10-year ban on political activity for those who held the party’s executive positions while it campaigned for the proposed amendment. Among them are its former leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, and current leader Chaithawat Tulathon.
Speaking to supporters and the media on Wednesday evening, Limjaroenrat said although he had to say goodbye as a politician, he looks forward to continuing his work as a citizen.
People might be frustrated today, but they should vent their frustration at the ballot box in every election from now on, he said.
He added that he was “absolutely proud” of what he had achieved and had no regrets.
“I have left my dent in the universe. And I’ll make sure that I pass the baton to the next-generation leaders,” he said.
Lawmakers of a dissolved political party who are not banned from politics can keep their seats in parliament if they move to a new party within 60 days.
Limjaroenrat said that party members would carry on “in a new vehicle” to be introduced today, although he would not be a part of it.
The party declined to announce details of the changeover.
Move Forward had 148 lawmakers in parliament. If they all move together, they would lose five seats belonging to the now-banned party executives.
“We’re going to stick to the same path. A political party is only a vehicle, so let’s wait and see the new party to which the MPs will be going,” said Attaphon Buaphat, who gathered with other party supporters at its headquarters in Bangkok. “You can get rid of the agents, the representatives for these people’s beliefs, but you are not going to be able to get rid of the beliefs.”
A humanoid robot that won a half-marathon race for robots in Beijing on Sunday ran faster than the human world record in a show of China’s technological leaps. The winner from Honor, a Chinese smartphone maker, completed the 21km race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, said a WeChat post by the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, also known as Beijing E-Town, where the race began. That was faster than the human world record holder, Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo, who finished the same distance in about 57 minutes in March at the Lisbon road race. The performance by the robot marked a significant step forward
Four contenders are squaring up to succeed Antonio Guterres as secretary-general of the UN, which faces unprecedented global instability, wars and its own crushing budget crisis. Chile’s Michelle Bachelet, Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan and Senegal’s Macky Sall are each to face grillings by 193 member states and non-governmental organizations for three hours today and tomorrow. It is only the second time the UN has held a public question-and-answer, a format created in 2016 to boost transparency. Ultimately the five permanent members of the UN’s top body, the Security Council, hold the power, wielding vetoes over who leads the
South Korea’s air force yesterday apologized for a 2021 midair collision involving two fighter jets, a day after auditors said the pilots were taking selfies and filming during the flight and held them responsible for the accident. “We sincerely apologize to the public for the concern caused by the accident that occurred in 2021,” an air force spokesman told a news conference, adding that one of the pilots involved had been suspended from flying duties, received severe disciplinary action and has since left the military. The apology followed a report released on Wednesday by the South Korean Board of Audit and Inspection,
An earthquake registering a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 off northern Japan on Monday prompted a short-lived tsunami alert and the advisory of a higher risk of a possible mega-quake for coastal areas there. The Cabinet Office and the Japan Meteorological Agency said there was a 1% chance for a mega-quake, compared to a 0.1% chance during normal times, in the next week or so following the powerful quake near the Chishima and Japan trenches. Officials said the advisory was not a quake prediction but urged residents in 182 towns along the northeastern coasts to raise their preparedness while continuing their daily lives. Prime
RSS