Thai party confident in law reformation case

MFP confident in court case probing reform of royal insult laws; Pita Limjaroenrat gives evidence.

Thailand’s progressive Move Forward Party (MFP), which won this year’s election but was shut out of government, said on Monday it was confident about a court case probing campaign pledges to reform royal insult laws.

MFP won most seats in the May poll, but then-leader Pita Limjaroenrat was blocked from becoming Prime Minister by conservative forces in the Upper House of Parliament.

The party’s vow to reform Thailand’s tough lese-majeste laws spooked the largely royalist, pro-military senate, whose members were appointed by the last junta. The Constitutional Court is considering a petition arguing that MFP’s pledge amounted to an attempt to overthrow the constitutional monarchy. Mr. Pita gave evidence at the hearing on Monday and said it “went well”.