US ‘Deeply Concerned’ as Thai Court Dissolves Opposition Party

The court ruled the Move Forward Party should be dissolved for advocating reform of a law which bans criticism of the country’s monarchy.

Former Thai prime ministerial candidate and former Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat (C) leaves the Constitutional Court, after it ruled to ban him from politics for 10 years and dissolve his party over his attempt to reform Thailand's royal defamation laws, in Bangkok on Aug. 7, 2024. Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images

A nine-judge Constitutional Court in Thailand on Aug. 7 ordered the dissolution of the country’s main political opposition party over its advocating for changes to the kingdom’s harsh lese majeste law, a move the U.S. State Department says has left it “deeply concerned.”

The court delivered its ruling on a petition submitted by the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) requesting to dissolve the Move Forward Party (MFP) due to its campaign calling for reforming the law, which outlaws criticizing the country’s monarchy under penalty of jail time.