From the 112 Richter Phenomenon to Ceiling-Breaking Proposals: The Political Impact of Reviving Khana Ratsadon’s Ideological to Counter-Hegemony the Judicialization of Politics after 2006.

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of the political interaction between the judicialization of politics as a hegemonic structure and identity-based political groups aligned with the ideology of the Khana Ratsadon as counter-hegemonic challengers. The study begins by questioning the rise of social movements in 2020 that aimed to dismantle structural power through "ceiling-breaking proposals." These movements exhibited notable ideological connections to the Nitirat Group, particularly in their advocacy for amending Article 112 of the Criminal Code. Their resurgence coincided with the revival of the ideals of the 1932 Siamese Revolution, a process that has been unfolding since 2006. Both movements share a common origin in opposing the consolidation of state power through what has been termed the "judicialization of politics."

               The establishment of judicial hegemony following the 2006 coup did not emerge solely from dominant discourses or mainstream academic narratives but was strategically constructed through the collaboration of various political forces seeking to maintain power. Once this judicial hegemony was firmly entrenched, it was challenged by the Nitirat Group and its affiliated networks. Although their legal reform proposals initially failed to gain traction, their influence contributed to the formation of the Future Forward Party, which had a profound political impact by bringing Article 112 into public discourse (sensitizing impact).

               However, a significant unintended consequence of this increased public discourse was that, rather than diminishing, the enforcement of Article 112 intensified as a political tool. Likewise, the judicialization of politics remains a recurring phenomenon in Thailand. Even after the dissolution of the Future Forward Party, traces of the Nitirat Group’s ideological influence persisted in the social movements of 2020, underscoring the ongoing struggle between hegemonic and counter-hegemonic forces in Thailand’s political landscape.