00:00Thailand's opposition leader and nine other lawmakers have appeared before the Supreme Court
00:05for alleged ethical violations linked to efforts to reform the country's royal insult law.
00:11They are among 44 people facing the case.
00:13If found guilty, they could be banned from holding political office for life
00:17and lose their voting rights for 10 years.
00:22Among those on trial is Natapong Rungpanya Wood,
00:25whose Progressive People's Party finished second in the country's general election in February.
00:31An earlier iteration of the party had proposed to amend the Les Majesties Law,
00:35which criminalizes criticism of the royal family
00:38and carries a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison per offense.
00:44Natapong said the proposed reforms were never intended to undermine Thailand's constitutional monarchy,
00:49but to ensure greater fairness for the public.
00:52The next two hearings for the case have been set for September and October.
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