The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organizations Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) and Union for Civil Liberty (UCL) call on Thailand’s Constitutional Court to dismiss the petition to dissolve the Move Forward Party (MFP) to ensure compliance with the country’s obligations under international human rights law.

The Thai Constitutional Court will rule on a petition that could result in the dissolution of the Move Forward Party, which won the largest number of seats in the May 2023 general election, and the disqualification of its leaders. Human Rights Watch (HRW) says that dissolving the party would violate its members' rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, and democratic participation, and would undermine Thailand's effort to restore democratic rule after years of military dictatorship. it would also affect Thailand's standing as a "generally rights-respecting" country and concerned governments should withdraw support for Thailand's bid for the UN Human Rights Council if the party is dissolved.

<p>Protesters from over 67 civil society organisations (CSOs), who have been demonstrating at Ratchadamnoen Road for the past 8 days, announced that they have met their immediate objective in communicating with society and pressuring the government to refrain from adopting a Draft Act on the Operations of Not-for-profit Organisations.</p>

<p>The protest against the new NPO bill is now in its 4th day since it occupied the street in front of the United Nations headquarters on Monday (23 May), while concerns are being raised as the police try to convince them to move to make way for an upcoming royal motorcade.</p>

<p>65 human rights organizations published an <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/05/12/joint-letter-president-biden-re-thailands-abusive-draft-law-not-profit">open letter</a> addressed to US President Joe Biden on the new non-profit organization (NPO) bill, saying that the bill threatens Thai civil society and calling on the US to press the Thai authorities to immediately withdraw the bill.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Members of civil society organizations from across the country marched on the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security on 24 March to protest against the new non-profit organization bill, concerned that it would be used to restrict freedom of association in Thailand.</p>

<p>Police in Songkhla Province have turned down a request to hold an anti-seawall public gathering at Muang Ngam beach, claiming it would violate the Emergency Decree on Covid-19 control. Many people still went to express their objections on the beach where the construction is taking place, while police took video recordings and photos.</p>

<p>Following the <a href="https://prachatai.com/english/node/8375">dissolution</a> of the Future Forward Party (FFP) on Friday (21 February), several human rights organizations, along with the European Union External Action Service (EEAS) and the Embassy of the United States in Thailand, have spoken out against the Constitutional Court&rsquo;s decision to dissolve the popular opposition party, a decision which has been seen as damaging to the country&rsquo;s return to democracy and as disenfranchising a large number of voters.</p>

<p>The Constitutional Court of Thailand ruled to dissolve the Future Forward Party on the grounds that the party has broken Article 72 of the 2017 Organic Law on Political Parties by taking a loan from its leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. The Court also banned its leaders for ten years.</p>

<p>Four defendants in the Thai Federation case have been sentenced to between 2 and 3 years in prison for suspected involvement in the Thai Federation movement, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said on Tuesday (21 January).</p>

<p>Amnesty International calls on the Thai authorities to stop instrumentalizing the legal process to intimidate and harass the leaders and members of the Future Forward party, as the country&rsquo;s Constitutional Court prepares to deliver a judgment on 21 January 2020 on a judicial case that could see the party banned and its leaders prosecuted. The spate of prosecutions targeting the party appear to be in clear retaliation for activities of the party that fall within the exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.</p>