Former Thai Prime Minister Shinawatra to be charged for alleged disrespect of monarchy

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will be charged for alleged disrespect for the monarchy, the country's attorney general has announced.

Shinawatra, who returned to Thailand after 15 years abroad, was charged with violating the lese majeste law based on an interview he gave to a Korean newspaper nine years ago. years.

He is the most prominent individual targeted by Thailand's strict lese majeste law, which has been frequently used against dissenting voices.

Over the past four years, many people have been prosecuted under this law. Although an important figure in Thai politics, Shinawatra's return to the country last year appeared to mark the end of the long-running political rivalry between his family and conservative factions concerned about his style of populist leadership.

Initially, this seemed like an important compromise since his party was allowed to establish a coalition government alongside some political adversaries.

This arrangement was intended to prevent the young reformist Move Forward party, which had won the majority of votes and seats in the 2023 elections, from taking power.

However, the recent decision to prosecute the 74-year-old former prime minister under the harsh lese majeste law suggests he still faces opposition from Thailand's influential royalist establishment.

The accusations stem from an interview he conducted with a Korean newspaper in 2015 while in exile.

In the article, he accused the king's highest advisory body, the Privy Council, of involvement in the 2014 military coup that toppled his sister Yingluck from power after she had ruled Thailand for three years after his electoral victory in 2011.

Although the law of lèse majesté does not technically cover the privy council, these days it is often interpreted broadly to include any expression that may reflect negatively on the royal family.

Since mass protests four years ago, which sparked unprecedented criticism of the monarchy, more than 270 people have been charged under the law.

Shinawatra's legal team is confident they can defend him in court, but the process before a likely trial could be lengthy, potentially forcing him to scale back his political aspirations.

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