A court in Thailand has ordered the dissolution of the progressive Move Forward Party, saying it violated the constitution by proposing an amendment of a law against defaming the country's royal family.
The Constitutional Court said it voted unanimously to dissolve the party because its campaign to amend the law was considered an attempt to overthrow the nation's constitutional monarchy.
The background: The Move Forward Party finished first in 2023's general election but was unable to form government after topping the polls because members of the Senate, at that time a conservative military-appointed body, refused to endorse its candidate for prime minister.
The Election Commission filed a petition against the Move Forward Party after the Constitutional Court ruled in January that it must stop advocating changes to the law, which protects the monarchy from criticism with penalties of up to 15 years in jail per offence.
The key quote: "(The decision) shows that Thailand is still a long way from achieving a consensus on the appropriate sources of political legitimacy, with the establishment digging in its heels against the will of the electorate," Matthew Wheeler, a regional analyst for the global non-profit think tank Crisis Group, said.
What else to know: The latest legal action is one of many that have drawn widespread criticism and are seen as part of a years-long attack on the country's progressive movement by conservative forces trying to keep their grip on power.
What happens now: The ruling 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 charismatic former leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, and current chief Chaithawat Tulathon.
