On 23 November, a Bangkok court dismissed the case as irrelevant against former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The former prime minister and current billionaire tycoon had come under fire for allegedly breaching Thailand’s notorious and draconian royal defamation laws. The ruling was a major short-term victory for Thaksin, whose family’s political dynasty is today working through a stormy political climate.
The criminal court, rejecting guilt of substantial evidence against Thaksin, former Prime Minister of Thailand. Consequently, the charges were dropped. The ruling highlights the legal and societal minefield that is creating Thailand’s draconian lese-majeste statutes, which shield the monarchy from insult and defamation.
“The court dismissed the charges against Thaksin, ruling that the evidence presented was insufficient,” stated Winyat Chatmontree, a legal expert familiar with the case. Yet this ruling does more than exonerate Thaksin, it uncovers deep-seated rifts within Thailand’s political landscape.
Thaksin’s family lies at the center of Thailand’s political discourse. His daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, is now the country’s Prime Minister. She, too, is mired in legal wrangling with a court decision on her possible ouster expected next week.
The Constitutional Court may remove Paetongtarn from office due to an alleged ethics violation linked to a leaked telephone conversation with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen. In doing so, critics claim this conversation was strategically released by Hun Sen to damage her credibility.
Tempers are rising between Thailand’s royalists and other political factions. A significant majority agree that repressive laws are essential in safeguarding the monarchy. These laws have been a frequent source of division between political pundits and activists on both sides of the aisle.
