Thailand has banned its young, progressive main opposition leader from politics for 10 years.
43-year-old Pita Limjaroenrat and his progressive Move Forward party had won the most votes during Thailand’s general election in May 2023, when voters rejected the military government, which had ruled since taking power in a coup in 2014.
Pita had run on a campaign of promoting democracy, removing the military’s influence on politics and revising the lèse-majesté law, which jails people for criticizing the monarchy.
However, he was suspended from parliament and blocked from becoming prime minister for allegedly violating election laws.
Thailand’s parliament then approved Srettha Thavisin, a real estate developer, as its prime minister, instead.
The constitutional court later found in January 2024 that Pita had not broken election law for holding media shares when he was running.
But a few days later, the court ordered Move Forward to drop its plans to reform the lèse-majesté law, saying it was unconstitutional.
On Wednesday Aug. 7, the constitutional court officially disbanded Move Forward, finding that its attempt to revise the lèse-majesté law amounted to attempting to overthrow the monarchy.
It banned 11 of its members, including Pita, from politics for a decade.
Speaking after the verdict, Pita said he was “absolutely proud” of what he had achieve and had no regrets.
He said that he felt he had left his dent in the universe and would make sure to pass the baton onto the next generation of leaders.
He added that he would continue his work as an active citizen, urging people to vent their frustration in every election going forward.
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