Thailand Remains On Human Rights Watchlist Due To Political Repression And Lèse-majesté Prosecutions

• Thailand’s Constitutional Court dissolves the opposition Move Forward Party
• At least 272 individuals have been prosecuted under lèse-majesté laws since 2020
• Concerns over transnational repression grow as Thailand considers extraditing a refugee and human rights defender to Vietnam

The CIVICUS Monitor has once again placed Thailand on its Watchlist of countries experiencing rapid declines in civic freedoms. This decision follows a series of alarming developments that highlight the ongoing repression of political opposition, activists, and human rights defenders in the country.

On 7th August 2024, Thailand’s Constitutional Court dissolved the opposition Move Forward Party, which had secured the most seats in the last election. The court accused the party of treason for advocating the reform of Penal Code Article 112 on lèse-majesté (royal defamation) and imposed 10-year political bans on all its executive members who served from April 2021 to January 2024. Human rights groups have condemned the decision as politically motivated.

“The dissolution of the Move Forward Party is a blatant attempt to stifle political opposition and silence voices calling for reform,” said Josef Benedict, CIVICUS Monitor Asia researcher . “This politically motivated decision undermines the democratic process and violates fundamental freedoms, especially the right to political participation.”

The government continues to wield the lèse-majesté law as a tool to silence dissent. According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), at least 272 individuals have been prosecuted under this law since 2020. Recent cases include the sentencing of three activists to seven years in prison for singing a protest song on 18th July, and another conviction of human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa to four years in jail on 25th July for Facebook posts about the monarchy. Pro-democracy activist Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak was also sentenced in absentia to two years in prison on 31st July for similar charges.

In the Deep South, the situation remains dire. Roning Dolah, a prominent Malay Muslim human rights defender, was killed in June 2024. Additionally, nine other activists face potential indictments for sedition and other charges related to their participation in a cultural event in 2022.

“The ongoing use of lèse-majesté laws to target activists and critics is deeply troubling for a country that is seeking a place on the UN Human Rights Council,” said Benedict. “These actions are part of a broader pattern of repression that is eroding civic space and silencing dissent in Thailand. They are also inconsistent with Thailand’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights”

Transnational repression is another growing concern. Independent UN experts have expressed grave concern over Vietnam’s request to Thailand to extradite refugee and human rights defender Y Quynh Bdap. His extradition hearings are ongoing, and there are fears he could face severe persecution if returned to Vietnam.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra who was elected in August 2024 has not made any commitments to address these concerns. The CIVICUS Monitor urges the Thai government to cease its crackdown on dissent and uphold its international human rights obligations.

Thailand is currently rated ‘Repressed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor. There are a total of 50 countries in the world with this rating (see all). This rating is typically given to countries where civic space is heavily contested by power holders, who impose a combination of legal and practical constraints on the full enjoyment of fundamental rights (see the full description of ratings).

About the CIVICUS Monitor

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation is a global alliance of over 15,000 civil society organisations and activists dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society throughout the world.

Over twenty organisations collaborate on the CIVICUS Monitor to provide an evidence base for action to improve civic space on all continents. Civic freedoms in 198 countries and territories are categorised as either ‘closed,’ ‘repressed,’ ‘obstructed,’ ‘narrowed’ or ‘open,’ based on a methodology that combines several data sources on the freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression.

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