A court ruling in Thailand has determined that the nation’s predominant political force, the reformist Move Forward Party (MFP), breached the constitution by attempting to amend the lese majeste law, a strict prohibition against insulting the monarchy.
The Constitutional Court’s decision, issued on Wednesday, cited concerns that the proposed changes signaled “an intent to separate the monarchy from the Thai nation,” deeming it a significant threat to state security. The court further labeled the move as an endeavor to “overthrow the democratic regime of government with the king as a head of state.”
The ruling carries potential implications for future reviews of the royal defamation law, which imposes penalties of up to 15 years in jail and has led to the prosecution of at least 260 individuals in recent years. Activist and lawyer Arnon Nampa received an extended prison sentence earlier this month for royal insults made in a 2021 social media post.
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In 2023, another individual was imprisoned for two years for selling satirical calendars featuring rubber ducks, deemed defamatory to the king by the court. The MFP, which secured the most seats and the largest vote share in the May 2023 general elections, faced political setbacks as lawmakers allied with the royalist military thwarted their attempts to form a government.
Former MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat was prevented from assuming the role of prime minister, and the party found itself excluded from the governing coalition. Speculation now surrounds potential legal efforts to dissolve the MFP and impose political bans on its leaders due to their stance on the monarchy law.
Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the former leader of the dissolved Future Forward Party, a forerunner to the MFP, asserted earlier on Wednesday that the monarchy law should be open to discussion. He emphasized that laws, including those related to the monarchy, are not infallible divine decrees but are crafted by human hands, suggesting a need for amendments.
Against the backdrop of a two-decade power struggle between royalists, the military, and established families, Thailand remains entangled in a complex battle between traditionalist forces and parties advocating populist or progressive agendas.
It also called it an attempt to “overthrow the democratic regime of government with the king as a head of state”.
“The law is not a fax paper sent from God. It’s written by human hands, therefore people can amend it,” Thanathorn said. “If the lawmakers cannot amend the laws, I think something is wrong in the country.”
