Thai court bans prominent politician, dissolves reformist party

Pita first emerged on the political scene in 2018 as a member of the progressive Future Forward Party (FFP). The party disbanded in 2020, sparking massive youth-led demonstrations that rocked Bangkok for months.

At the height of the protests, tens of thousands of people took to the streets, with many launching unprecedented public criticism of the royal family and demanding transparency and reform.

Following these protests, more than 270 people were charged with lese majeste, including two elected lawmakers.

New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said lèse-majesté was often used to silence political dissent.

Human Rights Watch said in its 2024 World Report that Thai authorities last year prosecuted at least 258 people for lèse majeste for allegedly participating in pro-democracy protests or making comments on social media.

Thailand, Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, has a long history of unrest, with more than a dozen coups since the end of the monarchy in 1932.