World

Thai Court Orders Election-Winning Party To Dissolve In Major Blow To Kingdom’s Popular Progressive Movement

Published

1 month ago

2024-08-11

On Wednesday, a Thai court ordered the dissolution of the kingdom’s most popular political party, dealing a severe blow to Thailand’s thriving progressive movement and threatening further political upheaval.

The Move Forward Party secured a shock electoral victory in 2023, capturing the most parliamentary seats on an anti-establishment reform platform that gained widespread support, particularly among young people dissatisfied with years of military dictatorship.

Thai Court Orders Election-Winning Party To Dissolve In Major Blow To Kingdom’s Popular Progressive Movement

The Constitutional Court in Bangkok ruled on Wednesday that Move Forward should be disbanded in response to a request from Thailand’s Election Commission on the party’s campaign to modify lese majeste, the country’s notoriously severe royal insult statute.

In its unanimous decision, the court accused Move Forward of “undermining the monarchy, ” so “the constitutional court has to inevitably disband the party.”

In January, the same court ordered the party to halt its lese majeste campaign, charging its leaders, including former prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat, of attempting to subvert the constitutional monarchy.

Wednesday’s decision goes even further, dissolving the party and barring its executives from politics for ten years, effectively disenfranchising 14 million people who voted for them and raising new concerns about the deterioration of democratic rights in the kingdom.

Move Forward leaders have frequently stated that dissolution will not halt their movement. Pita told the Associated Press last week that they will keep fighting until Move Forward “becomes the last party that joins the graveyard of political parties.”

It is the first of two high-profile, politically charged cases that potentially exacerbate a power struggle between the establishment and progressives. The court will likely rule next week on a petition to remove Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office for appointing a lawyer who had previously served in jail to the Cabinet.

Crushing punch.
Move Forward’s election triumph was a significant success for progressive parties and dealt a devastating blow to Thailand’s conservative, military-backed establishment, which has ruled on and off for decades, frequently overthrowing popularly elected governments in coups.

Move Forward was ultimately unable to create a government because it did not receive enough support in parliament for its royal reform agenda, which largely favours the establishment of a democratic system enacted by the former ruling military junta.

Pita resigned as party leader, and it became the primary opposition.

Thailand’s stormy political past has historically seen groups advocating for change clash with the powerful establishment, which includes the military, royalists, and influential elites.

The ostensibly independent electoral commission, anti-corruption commission, and Constitutional Court are heavily stacked in favor of the establishment.

During the election, young people told CNN that they felt like the “forgotten generation” after nine years of living under military rule and struggling to find work or buy a home. “We just can’t see our future in this country,” one young legislator stated.

Wednesday’s decision would reinforce the belief among many young supporters that there is little chance for reform within Thailand’s democratic system.

Progressive MPs have been barred from holding office, parties have been disbanded, and governments have been overthrown. Thailand has had a dozen successful coups since 1932, including two in the last two decades.

This is the second time the court has ordered the dissolution of parties affiliated with Move Forward’s progressive movement.

Move Forward is the de facto successor of the Future Forward Party, which received the third highest number of seats in the 2019 elections. After the poll, Thailand’s Constitutional Court dissolved the party and barred its leaders from politics for a decade.

This drew millions of young people to the streets across the country, igniting a nationwide youth-led protest movement in 2020 that saw the rise of a new generation of young political leaders, many of whom openly criticized the monarchy and questioned its authority and wealth.

Lese Majeste is here to stay.
The verdict could ensure that no party or individual can lawfully argue for changes to lese majeste, also known as Section 112, without violating the Constitution.

The cries for monarchy reform ignited Thailand, where any open debate of the royal family risks imprisonment.

Criticising the monarch, queen, or heir apparent can result in a maximum 15-year prison sentence for each offence, with punishments lasting decades for individuals convicted under Section 112 of the country’s criminal code.

Hundreds of people have been punished in recent years, including Mongkol Thirakhot, who was sentenced to a record 50 years in prison in January for social media statements deemed harmful to the king.

Anyone, including regular citizens, can bring lese majeste charges on behalf of the king, even if they have no direct involvement in the matter. Move Forward promised to cut these major sentences and limit who may file a complaint.

Human rights organizations and free speech advocates have long claimed that the lese majeste law is used as a political tool to stifle critics of Thailand’s government.

Thai Court Orders Election-Winning Party To Dissolve In Major Blow To Kingdom’s Popular Progressive Movement

Many of the people who participated in the protests are now facing lese majeste charges and lengthy prison sentences.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights reported that 1,954 persons have been prosecuted for participating in political gatherings since the protests began in July 2020, with at least 272 accused for lese majeste.

Arnon Nampa, a prominent activist lawyer, is serving an eight-year sentence for two lese majeste charges.

In May, the death of a young Thai activist in pre-trial custody on lese majeste allegations startled many in the country and rekindled calls for justice reform.

SOURCE | CNN

World

Australia Launches Manhunt for Man Who Poured Scolding Coffee on Baby

Published

1 day ago

2024-09-09

Geoff Thomas

Police in Australia have launched an international manhunt to find a man they believe fled the country after dumping hot coffee on a newborn in Brisbane. The random attack stunned the nation, left the nine-month-old infant with “serious burns” on his face and arms.

Queensland Police have issued an arrest warrant for a 33-year-old man wanted for causing grievous bodily injury, a charge that carries a maximum life sentence.

However, on Monday, they stated that their prime suspect flew out of Sydney Airport after the crime and only 12 hours before they could establish his identification.

According to Queensland Police the infant was having a picnic with his family in a suburban park when a “strange man” came up and emptied a flask of scolding hot coffee on him before fleeing on foot. An off-duty nurse who witnessed the horrific incident quickly poured cold water on the infants burns, before rushing the boy to the local hospital.

The baby boy sustained severe injuries that required multiple surgeries, and his parents believe he will need to recuperate for years.

The Suspect in known to police- ABC News Image

Detective Inspector Paul Dalton of the Queensland Police told media that the motive for the horrific crime is still unknown, adding that the case was one of the “most complex and frustrating” he has ever led.

He stated that police knew where the suspect had fled and his name, but that revealing the information at this time could compromise their investigation. The individual is a itinerant worker who has travelled to Australia several times since 2019, with addresses in both New South Wales and Victoria.

According to Pol Inspector Dalton the suspect was aware of “police methodologies” and had been “conducting counter-surveillance activities” to avoid detection. The Queensland Police is working with Australian Federal Police and Interpol to bring the man to justice.

On Monday, the baby’s parents informed the ABC News media that they were “devastated” to learn that the suspect had fled the country, but also relieved that he had.

“It sounds like they were very, very close to catching him, and this obviously means that we’re going to have to wait who knows how long to get justice for our son,” his mother said The young baby is “in good spirits,” according to his father, but he may yet require additional skin graft surgeries.

An internet fundraising website for the infant boy has raised over AUD$150,000 for the little boy.

Australia’s East Coast Faces Record-Breaking Warmth and Strong Winds

Australia’s East Coast Faces Record-Breaking Warmth and Strong Winds

World

Fugitive Philippines Mayor Alice Guo Captured in Indonesia

Published

5 days ago

2024-09-05

Geoff Thomas

Fugitive former Philippines mayor Alice Guo arrested in Indonesia - Facebook Image

Alice Guo, a former mayor from the Philippine who is thought to have ties to Chinese crime groups, was caught in Indonesia.

The Philippine Senate wants Guo, who is also Chinese and goes by the name Guo Hua Ping, because she refused to go to a congressional investigation into her alleged crime ties, according to the Ministry of Justice.

She has denied the claims, saying that she is a natural-born Filipino citizen and that the charges are “malicious.”

Police in Indonesia have confirmed that Ms. Guo is currently in their custody, according to a statement from the Justice Department.

Guo was caught in Tangerang City in Jakarta at 11:58 p.m. on Tuesday. He used to be the mayor of Bamban town, which is about 100 km (62 miles) north of Manila. Asian media shared a video on X that showed police agents leading her up a white-walled staircase.

In the Philippines, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and other law enforcement agencies charged Guo and 35 others with money laundering multiple times with the Department of Justice last month.

The AMLC says that Guo and her crime partners laundered more than 100 million pesos ($1.8 million) in stolen money.

Lawyer Stephen David, who is officially Guo’s lawyer, did not reply right away to a request for comment from the Reuters news agency.

Al Jazeera news said that Justice Secretary Boying Remulla said in a statement, “The arrest of Alice Guo is a testament to the tireless efforts of our law enforcement agencies and the strength of international cooperation in bringing fugitives to justice.”

People removed Guo from her job as mayor, and she left the country in July, using her Philippine visa to go to Malaysia, then Singapore, and finally Indonesia.

In May, two months after police raided a casino in Bamban town and found scams being run from a building on land partly owned by the mayor, the Senate began an investigation into her activities.

Public outrage followed the finding, and later, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. banned online gaming companies because he thought they had ties to organised crime.

Marcos also said she would go after those who “helped her escape.”

The government thinks that several hundred illegal online gambling businesses may be running scam sites right in front of them.

Philippines Ferry Inferno Kills 31 Passengers, 230 Rescued, 7 Missing

Philippines Ferry Inferno Kills 31 Passengers, 230 Rescued, 7 Missing

World

Divers Discover Lost RMS Titanic Bronze Statue After 112 Years

Published

5 days ago

2024-09-05

Geoff Thomas

Divers Discover Lost Titanic Bronze Statue After 112 Years

The discovery of the statue of Diana was an exciting moment - Image RMS Titanic Inc

A bronze statue from the Titanic, long considered to be gone forever, was unearthed during a recent trip by the corporation that owns salvage rights to the wreck site.

The journey to the desolate North Atlantic Ocean, where the Titanic sank, coincided with the US Coast Guard’s inquiry into the Titan, a submersible owned by another business, which imploded in June 2023.

The Titan submarine catastrophe killed all five persons on board, including RMS Titanic’s director of underwater research, Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

RMS Titanic Inc. described the results of this summer’s voyage as a “bittersweet mix of preservation and loss.”

The finding of the statue “Diana of Versailles,” which had been missing since 1986, was a major highlight. The firm has now provided a clear and updated image of the statue.

Part of the railing has fallen from the bow of the wreck of the Titanic where statue located

However, RMS Titanic reported that a major piece of the railing surrounding the ship’s bow’s forecastle deck had fallen. According to the company, the railing remained in place until 2022.

“Discovering the Diana statue was a thrilling time. However, the loss of the famous Bow railing and other degradation evidence has only increased our dedication to conserving Titanic’s heritage,” said Tomasina Ray, RMS Titanic’s director of collections.

The group spent 20 days at the location before returning to Providence, Rhode Island, on August 9. They took more than two million high-resolution photos of the wreck. The team also employed modern technology to properly map the crash and its debris field, which will help them better comprehend the site.

Meanwhile, a public hearing on the Coast Guard’s probe into the Titan submarine accident will take place later in September.

Nargeolet’s family has launched a wrongful death case against OceanGate, the Titan submarine’s operator, which has since ceased operations.