Parliamentarians and ex-parliamentarians in Southeast Asia continue to be subjected to human rights violations, says new report by ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), including in Thailand, where the Move Forward Party is facing judicial harassment following the 2023 general election.

The Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) is filing a petition with the Constitutional Court seeking the disqualification of former Move Forward Party (MFP) MP Nakornchai Khunnarong on the grounds that he ran in the 2023 general election knowing that he was ineligible.

Take a look back at the 14 May 2023 general election, now seen as a watershed event in Thai politics after the Move Forward party came out top of the poll and Pheu Thai polled second for the first time in its history. Many academics said that structural changes and and demands for a welfare state has become the new political normal. Meanwhile young working class voters no longer believe in the old political elite network, instead looking to politicians who offer inclusive policies that can provide them with long-term security.

The Move Forward Party emerged top of the poll in the 2023 election, winning in provinces that were once Pheu Thai strongholds. What made Pheu Thai supporters shift their allegiances? Three Red Shirt protesters tell us about why they now vote Move Forward.

Pongsathon Sornphetnarin, the Move Forward Party’s candidate, won in the by-election for Rayong’s 3rd Constituency on Sunday (10 September), beating the second most popular candidate by over 10,000 votes.

After the May 2023 general election, the eight-party coalition led by the Move Forward Party signed an MOU to form a democratic government, but the document was revoked when Pheu Thai left the coalition along with the Prachachat Party, an influential party in the Deep South, to form a coalition with parties under strong military influence. Hara Shintaro writes on the impact of revoking the MOU on the peace process in the Deep South and the possibility of rebuilding trust in the process under the current political situation.

ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) issued a statement today (25 August) welcoming the appointment of Srettha Thavisin as Thailand's new Prime Minister and urging the new government to fulfill promise of change and pave the way for genuine democracy that respects rights of all.

The Prime Ministerial vote, previously scheduled for this Friday (4 August), has been postponed as the Constitutional Court has yet to rule on the petition asking whether prohibiting repeated nominations of candidates for Prime Minister is unconstitutional.

The Thammasat University Student Union (TUSU) organized a protest on Wednesday (26 July) at Thammasat University’s Rangsit campus against attempts by the Senate and the Constitutional Court to block Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat from becoming Prime Minister despite his party winning the election.

While protests continue to spring up across the country, overseas Thai communities in at least four countries have also held demonstrations over the weekend to demand that the Senate and the Constitutional Court respect the result of the election.

As government formation remains in deadlock, protests have been taking place across the country against attempts to block the Move Forward Party from leading a government and demanding the resignation of the Senate. Activists also demand that the Pheu Thai Party, now tasked with forming a government, not bring into the coalition any parties that supported leaders of the 2014 coup.