112WATCH interviews Filipino scholar, Aries A. Arugay on Thailand’s lèse-majesté law as a ‘lawfare’ instrument

In an interview with Prof Arugay, the scholar analyzes how militaries and conservative elites in Southeast Asia—particularly in Thailand and the Philippines—maintain power through "lawfare" (such as Section 112 and cyberlibel laws) and constitutional interventions rather than traditional coups alone. While youth-led movements actively push for democratic resilience, their structural impact remains hindered by a lack of unified leadership or institutional barriers. Furthermore, escalating US-China rivalry has diminished global democratic promotion, leaving authoritarian-backed regimes with little geopolitical pressure to reform.