Lawyer petitions to gag Move Forward on lese majeste law

Lawyer petitions to gag Move Forward on lese majeste law

Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward Party, arrives to address supporters in Samut Prakan province. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)
Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward Party, arrives to address supporters in Samut Prakan province. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)

A lawyer has asked the Office of the Attorney General to forward a petition to the Constitutional Court requesting that it order Move Forward leader and aspirant prime minister Pita Limjaroenrat and his party to cease their campaign to change the lese majeste law.

Teerayut Suwankesorn filed his ptition request with the OAG on Tuesday, saying he was acting as an individual and a citizen.

Mr Teerayut said he wanted the Constitutional Court to order Mr Pita and the Move Forward Party to cease all attempts to amend or abolish Section 112 of the Criminal Code, the lese majeste law.

He also wanted the court to order them to stop expressing opinions in speeches, articles, publications and advertisements which could lead to Section 112 being amended or abolished.

Mr Teerayut said he expected the OAG would forward his petition to the Constitutional Court in 15 days. If not, he would exercise his right under the constitution and submit the petition directly to the court for consideration.

He had earlier submitted a petition asking the Election Commission to examine whether Move Forward and its members, in declaring its policy to amend Section 112 during its campaign, had violated the constitution. The EC has not responded to the request.

Mr Teerayut gained prominence as the lawyer representing pro-military activist monk Phra Buddha Issara on charges arising from the yellowshirts' Bangkok Shutdown street protests in 2014, before the coup led by current caretaker Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. The monk was defrocked and charged under his lay name, Suwit Thongprasert.

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