PM to Sue iLaw Chief Over Senate Election Collusion Claims

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has vowed to file a defamation lawsuit against the head of the election-monitoring group iLaw over allegations linking him and eight other senior Bhumjaithai Party figures to involvement in manipulating the 2024 Senate election. Mr Anutin was responding on Wednesday to claims by Yingcheep Atchanont, who has asked opposition parties in parliament to further pursue the information gathered by iLaw. The prime minister said that under the law, anyone making accusations against another person must possess clear evidence. “The matter remains under the judicial process, and no indictment has yet been filed,” he said, referring to ongoing investigations into alleged vote-rigging in the Senate poll. Mr Anutin questioned Mr Yingcheep’s authority to publicly implicate individuals before the legal process had concluded. “Who is he to pass judgement and mention people’s names like that? It causes damage to those concerned,” said the prime minister. He added that the claims were based on statements attributed to unnamed witnesses, questioning the credibility of those being cited. “We respect everyone’s right to speak, but people must take responsibility for what they say,” he said. Asked whether he believed Mr Yingcheep had political motives, Mr Anutin replied: “I don’t know what to say. Perhaps he simply doesn’t want us to succeed. Maybe there is some disappointment behind it,” he said. When asked if he suspected political forces were behind the allegations, Mr Anutin said he had no interest in speculating. “We have laws, and everyone is subject to the same laws. If someone acts with ill intent and causes damage, creates division in society or fosters hatred among people, that is undesirable for this country. Everyone must be accountable for their own words. “In the past, we have seen many cases like this. Once lawsuits were filed, the other side often sought reconciliation and pleaded for leniency from the courts. This time, however, that is unlikely, as it has happened too many times,” Mr Anutin said. The Bhumjaithai Party has assigned Supachai Jaisamut, a list MP and the party’s legal expert, to pursue legal action. In a Facebook post, he raised questions about iLaw’s funding, including whether some donations came from foreign sources and whether funds had been used for purposes inconsistent with the organisation’s objectives. According to the “About Us” page on the iLaw website, the group receives financial support from a number of organisations including the Open Society Foundation and the US-based National Endowment for Democracy. On Tuesday, iLaw urged the opposition to investigate nine Bhumjaithai senior figures, including Mr Anutin, for alleged involvement in manipulating the Senate election. Opposition chief whip Parit Wacharasindhu, a People’s Party MP, said the opposition would review the petition and use parliamentary mechanisms to scrutinise the claims. The 2024 Senate election gave rise to allegations of systemic fraud and vote-buying by at least 120 of the 200 senators who were ultimately chosen in the three-stage poll. The vote produced some highly unusual results, notably a preponderance of winners from provinces where the Bhumjaithai Party, which now leads the government, is strong electorally. The Election Commission since March 2025 has been investigating reports of collusion to rig the vote in 2024. It is expected to decide by next month whether to forward cases involving 229 individuals identified by an investigative panel. The Department of Special Investigation, meanwhile, has interviewed hundreds of people about reports of money-laundering related to the election and is now reviewing the findings.