Uwazi

A protest to raise awareness about climate change was forced to cancel by the police Friday just minutes after it began in front of a park.

The rally, called Climate Strike Thailand, was scheduled to kick off at Lumpini Park at about 6pm today, but police officers from Lumpini Park arrived at the scene and told them to disperse. The officers refused to give any specific reason, though one eyewitness said police told them it was inappropriate to hold a protest in front of a statue of King Rama VI.

“Ironically, we were trying to get into the park, but somebody in the authorities told us we couldn’t go into the park, that’s why we ended up here,” the protester said.

About 100 people were participating in a “die-in” in front of the statue when police intervened. The memorial is a tribute to King Rama VI, who died in 1925.

The news came as a surprise to the activists because a similar demonstration was held in September without any interference from the authorities.

The climate change protest at Lumpini Park took place in the heart of Bangkok’s financial district; nearby landmarks include Silom Road and Chulalongkorn Hospital.

On Wednesday (27 November), the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) issued a statement condemning Thammakaset Co., Ltd’s use of the criminal defamation provisions of the Thai Criminal Code to harass former National Human Rights Commissioner Angkhana Neelapaijit.

“This action by Thammakaset is a textbook case of how defamation laws are used in Thailand to silence human rights defenders. It is clearly without any legitimate basis, and intended to harass and intimidate Khun Angkhana, who is a leading champion of human rights in Thailand and the region,” said Frederick Rawski, ICJ Asia Pacific Regional Director. “We hope that the Courts will dismiss this frivolous case at first opportunity.”

On 25 October 2019, Thammakaset Co. Ltd., a poultry farm in Lopburi Province, filed a criminal defamation suit under sections 326 and 328 of the Criminal Code against Angkhana Neelapaijit for two posts she shared that contained links to press statements of 16 organizations, including the ICJ, and Fortify Rights.

The statements cited in the warrant as the basis for the action were a post on 3 December 2018 in which Angkhana Neelapaijit re-tweeted an ICJ link to a joint statement co-signed by 16 organizations, including the ICJ. The statement contained a link (now defunct) to a short film in which former employees spoke out about alleged labor abuses; and a post on 28 June 2019 which included a link to a Fortify Rights’ news release containing the same link. The film refers to a previous defamation complaint brought by Thammakaset against 14 of its former workers, and called upon the authorities to drop criminal defamation charges against them and decriminalize defamation in Thailand. Thammakaset claimed that the film was defamatory.

Criminal defamation, under sections 326 of the Criminal Code, carries a maximum sentence of one year of imprisonment, a fine of up to 20,000 Baht (approx. USD 640) or both. Section 328 criminalizes defamation “by means of publication” with up to two years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to 200,000 Baht (approx. USD 6,400).

Thailand is party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees the right to freedom of expression. The UN Human Rights Committee, the supervisory body that provides the authoritative interpretation of the ICCPR, has called on States that criminalize defamation to abolish criminal defamation laws and reserve defamation for civil liability.

“The criminal defamation provisions in the Criminal Code have been repeatedly invoked for nefarious ends, such to target persons seeking to bring public attention to human rights violations, including by business enterprises. They need to be removed from the Criminal Code as a matter of urgency,” said Rawski. “The imposition of criminal penalties for speech, even allegedly defamatory speech, is disproportionate and risks having a ‘chilling effect’ on the exercise of freedom of expression.” Background

Angkhana Neelapaijit is a Thai human rights defender and the wife of human rights lawyer Somchai Neelapaijit, who was abducted more than 15 years ago. His abduction was the only case of enforced disappearance to ever be tried in a Thai court. In 2015, she was appointed commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, before resigning in July 2019, and is a recipient of the 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Awards.

A court warrant was sent to Angkhana Neelapaijit on 23 November 2019. A conciliation conference, at which parties are brought together to settle a dispute before trial, is scheduled to be held on 12 February 2020 at Bangkok South Criminal Court.

The ICJ has repeatedly expressed concerns about the use of existing defamation laws to harass human rights defenders, activists, lawyers, academics, and journalists in Thailand, for carrying out their legitimate and important work to raise awareness and highlight human rights issues.

This case is one of many defamation and other cases brought by Thammakaset against any individuals perceived to have expressed dissent, conducted advocacy on or released information relating to labour rights violations committed by the Company. According to the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), as of May 2019, Thammakaset has filed complaints with the police, the Criminal Court, and the Civil Court against at least 22 individuals in at least 14 cases.

These included criminal defamation complaints against Sutharee Wannasiri, human rights defender and a former Thailand Human Rights Specialist with Fortify Rights, for three comments she was alleged to have made on Twitter related to the same film produced by Fortify Rights; Ngamsuk Rattanasatiean, who had shared information on the Facebook page of the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies; Suchanee Rungmuanporn, a reporter from Voice TV who had made a post on Twitter highlighting labour rights violations by Thammakaset; Suthasinee Kaewleklai, coordinator of the Migrant Workers Rights Network, who had shared information on Facebook relating to the cases; and other separate cases against 14 migrant workers and former employees.

Police on Tuesday said they arrested a pro-democracy campaigner who spread “hatred” toward the monarchy in an online post – an allegation disputed by his lawyer.

Karn Pongpraphapan, 25, was arrested at his home last night and taken to a police station where he was charged with violating the cybercrime law, according to a statement released today by the cyberpolice division. If found guilty, Karn faces five years in jail.

The police statement did not specify what Karn wrote, but described it as an “inappropriate content on Facebook spreading hatred” which “upset a number of people” after it was widely shared. Karn is charged under Section 14 of the Computer Crime Act, which bans disseminating online contents that “pose a threat to national security.”

But his attorney Winyat Chatmontree said the message in question was a public Facebook post Karn wrote on Oct. 2, which asked “How do you want it to end?”

Karn then went on to reference historical events involving past foreign monarchies, such as “shooting like the Russians,” “beheading by guillotine like the French,” and “exiled like the Germans.”

Winyat said he wanted to stress that Karn’s writing did not mention the Thai monarchy in any way. He also disputed speculation on social media that Karn was criticizing the recent traffic woes allegedly caused by royal motorcade in Bangkok.

“He was not talking about the Thai monarchy. He was not talking about the royal convoy,” the lawyer said. “He was talking about the history of other nations.”

Winyat said the post was nonetheless twisted by a number of people, and some even shared the message while attaching an image of Thai royal family to the post, which Karn did not do. The activist later deleted the post and deactivated his account when it became clear that his words were being distorted, the lawyer said.

“There is an element of witch-hunting involved,” Winyat said. “He was falsely accused of attempting to overthrow the monarchy.”

The arrest came several days after digital economy minister Puttipong Punnakan announced that the police were on the verge of “purging” anti-monarchy figures on social media.

It also followed a recent wave of online discontent toward road blockades in the capital attributed to royal motorcades, which led to severe traffic congestion.

The police statement on Karn’s arrest warned that anyone sharing his message will be liable for prosecution under the same charge.

Winyat said Karn is currently held at a police station’s cellroom, and he will be brought to court later today for a bail hearing.

“He is in good spirits,” Winyat said.

Sirisak Chaited, an LGBT rights activist, said she has received a threatening email ahead of the ASEAN Peoples’ Forum (APF) on 10 – 12 September, while Siyeed Alam, chair of the Rohingya Association in Thailand, said he has been contacted by Special Branch officers.

On Saturday (7 September), Sirisak posted on her Facebook page that she had received an email from an anonymous sender requesting “co-operation in peaceful communication” and asking her to discuss human rights in the APF meeting “without affecting the image of the country and other ASEAN members.”

The email also said that “we understand the current situation. Speaking the truth directly is something that should happen, but in certain situations, we need to think of the collective interest both at the national and the ASEAN level too, especially when criticizing issues that may affect the image of our country or may cause conflicts between nations."

"We hearby request your cooperation. This is also because we are concerned for your safety and that of the people in this country and in other ASEAN member states."

Siyeed Alam, chair of the Rohingya Association in Thailand, also said that Special Branch officers had contacted him to get information on members of the Rohingya community who are attending the APF. Officials have called him asking to schedule a meeting and to photograph his “0 Card” or the identity card for persons without registration status.

Meanwhile, the Forum was moved from the Berkeley Hotel Pratunam to the Rangsit campus of Thammasat University after the organizing committee refused funding of around 10 million baht from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, citing as their reason interference from security officials in, for example, requesting for a list of overseas participants. However, the Director of the Foreign Affairs Division of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security said that the Ministry is unable to issue funding since the organizers did not provide them with a list of participants. The Ministry is also organizing a parallel ASEAN Peoples’ Forum at the Berkeley Hotel Pratunam on 9 – 12 September.

Only two days after North East-based NGOs and activists issued a courageous statement denouncing the military government, the military on Tuesday November 4th summoned and briefly detained the statement signatories. According to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), the individual signatories have been summoned via telephone to meet the military at military camps in various provinces in the region. In some cases, fully armed military officers raided their houses of some and took the persons to the military camps. On Tuesday, two persons were interrogated by the military at Prajak Silpakorn Camp in Udon Thani. During the interrogation, the military officials asked about their motives in issuing the statement. Upon their release, they were forced to sign a document indicating their obligation to immediately present themselves to the authorities once summoned. Other individuals in other provinces including Mahasarakham and Khon Kaen may present themselves and meet the military authorities as summoned later, the TLHR reported in its statement issued on Wednesday. In the statement, "No Reform under the Boot of the Military,' jointly issued on Sunday by 12 human rights, environmental, and community rights organizations based in the North East, such as the Human Rights and Peace Information Centre and Isan Human Rights Media, it denounced the legitimacy of the junta's cabinet led by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, and his apparatus in governing and reforming the country because those apparatus are not connected with the people and human rights violations, especially the censorship are all over the place. The groups also condemned the military government for collaborating with investors, while it uses the martial law to silence people. The first group of the signatories comprised 12 NGOs and 17 individuals. On the TLHR's statement issued on Wednesday, the lawyers expressed concerns as follows: 1. The issuance of the public statement is simply an exercise of the right to freedom of expression guaranteed by Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which provides that everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference and Thailand is obliged to observe it. That the military officials summoned the individuals to meet simply because their issuance of the statement shall inevitably inflict the climate of fear in public and is in itself an act to stifle the right to freedom of expression. 2. Even though Thailand is ruled under Martial which authorizes military officials to hold a person in custody not more than seven days, but the exercise of such power is only possible only to when there is a reasonable ground to suspect that any person is the enemy or violates the provisions of this Act or the order of the military authority. The law does not provide a blank cheque for the military officials to act arbitrarily as it has happened thus far. 3. The act of the military officials simply reiterates that the points raised in the statement by the 12 civil society organizations that under military coup rule, it is impossible for people to hold the state accountable for their policies, laws or any development projects, since even a criticism made in good faith is not allowed. TLHR also demands that the military should stop suppressing the exercise of the right to freedom of expression of the individuals and other groups and repeal Martial Law countrywide as well as observe the rule of law in their governing of the country. Reform shall not take place without an effort to listen to opinions from all parties and without the enforcement of law equally among all people.

The United Nations Human Rights Office for South East Asia (OHCHR) and other human rights groups have expressed grave concern over the use of criminal defamation lawsuits as a means to pressure human rights defenders. The concern comes following the October 29 decision of the Phuket Provincial Court to proceed with a criminal defamation suit against Surapan Rujichaiwat from Loei province in north-eastern Thailand. The suit has been brought by Tungkum Co Ltd (TKL), a mining company, after Rujichaiwat and other anti-mining activists alleged that TKL was behind an incident of 15 May 2014 where unidentified armed men assaulted villagers, burned tents and huts in mining areas, and passed the blame on to the villagers. TKL has also brought a number of other civil and criminal cases against members of the Khon Rak Ban Koed Group (KRBK), including Porntip Hongchai, who is due to appear at the same court on November 3 on criminal defamation charges.

Three human rights lecturers used their academic posts to guarantee the bail requests of "The Wolf Bride' theatre activists charged with l��se majest_. Nevertheless, the court denied the bail requests. This is the fifth time that the two have submitted bail requests. On Tuesday, Phawinee Chumsri, a lawyer representing Patiwat S. and Pornthip M. (aka. Bank and Golf), two theatre activists charged with l��se majest_ for taking part in a political stage play called "The Wolf Bride', submitted bail requests on behalf of her clients with three academics from Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University, as guarantors. The three academics do not want to be named in the media due to privacy concerns. Phawinee added that three academics who volunteered to be the guarantors of the case know Patiwat and Pornthip personally because they had organized activities and worked with the defendants before. One of the academics, who asked not to be named, told Prachatai that they decided to be guarantors of the defendants because the two should receive the right to bail, which is the basic rights of all defendants, especially since both are young. She added that she was quite concerned after the group of academics were bullied on Facebook after the news was widely shared among royalists. Patiwat and Pornthip were indicted by the public prosecutor last Friday after being held in custody since early August. The deposition and preliminary hearing is scheduled for 29 December. Patiwat is accused of starring in a stage play "The Wolf Bride" centred around a fictional monarch in the role of a Brahmin advisor, while Pornthip was also accused of being involved with the play. The play was performed in October 2013 at Thammasat University, Bangkok, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 14 October popular uprising. The play was organized by former members of the now-defunct Prakai Fai Karn Lakorn. It is very rare that l��se majest_ suspects are released on bail due to the fact that cases concerning the revered Thai monarchy are viewed by the authorities as related to national security. "For many years Thai courts have regularly refused bail to people awaiting trial for "insulting the monarchy'," Brad Adams, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, said. "The systematic denial of bail for l��se majest_ suspects seems intended to punish them before they even go to trial."

A Thai court dismissed a defamation charge against a British activist Wednesday 29th October in a case linked to a report he co-authored alleging severe labour abuses in Thailand's food industry, a key supplier to Western supermarkets. Andy Hall, 34, had faced up to a year in jail if convicted of defamation - a criminal offence in Thailand - after Thai fruit processing giant Natural Fruit made the complaint against him. Hall's report investigating working conditions at a fruit processing factory belonging to Natural Fruit in southern Thailand levelled accusations of forced and child labour, unlawfully low wages and long hours. But a judge at the Bangkok court said the police probe, which stemmed from an interview with television network Al-Jazeera, was flawed as it did not involve a Thai state prosecutor from the start. "The investigation was not legal, which means the plaintiff has no legal right to file a complaint... the court dismisses the case," the judge - who was not named by the court - ruled. Natural Fruit, a major supplier to the European drink market, has denied the allegations in Hall's report. Hall stands by his research and has accused the company of trying to distract from the report's damning findings through legal action. Ahead of the ruling Hall told AFP he was "very confident" the case would be thrown out. The case related to an Hall's interview with Al-Jazeera over his 2013 report for Finnish rights watchdog Finnwatch called "Cheap Has a High Price". More serious charges await under the computer crime act - which carry up to seven years in jail for each count - and are due to be heard in November. The fruit processor is also seeking $10 million through a civil suit. Prominent European food firms have called for the charges to be dropped, while rights groups have criticised the defamation proceedings from a Thai food industry that has faced a slew of bad headlines over recent months. Accounts have circulated of abuse - particularly inside the fishing industry - of illegal immigrants held captive and forced into unpaid labour, sometimes on boats at sea for years on end without receiving any payment for their work. Thailand has long turned to migrants from poorer neighbours Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos to help keep major Thai industries afloat, from seafood to construction. But they often lack official work permits and are paid below the minimum wage. In June the US State Department downgraded Thailand to its lowest ranking in a report on human trafficking, highlighting abuses in the fisheries industry among others.

The military harassed Boonyuen Siritum, consumer rights and energy reform activist, and former senator at her house in a bid to suppress rallies on energy reform. Eight military officers on Wednesday morning raided the house of the former central Samut Songkram elected-senator and accused her of inciting people to stage rallies and being unusually rich. The officers searched the house in Samut Songkhram's Muang District without warrant, claiming that they can search any house under the martial law. Boonyuen was not home when the military arrived. On the same day, Kamolpan Cheewapansri, another energy reform activist led a rally to the Government House, to protest against an unconfirmed report that the government plans to grant renew a petroleum concession. Boonyuen said the military mistook her for being responsible for the rally and insisted that she was not involved with the rally.

The main contractor and partner of the company that runs the Chatree mining complex in Phichit province has threatened to take legal action against activists, accusing them of making false claims about the impact the gold mine has on villagers' health. The move comes after local activists recently submitted a petition bearing the names of 179 villagers to the National Council for Peace and Order, accusing the mine of harming the environment and the villagers' health. The junta ordered an investigation and a hearing into the dispute, including conducting blood and urine tests among villagers. The company accused some of the mine's former employees-turned-activists of orchestrating the anti-mine campaign with the ulterior motive of trying to force Akara Resources, the company that holds the mining concessions in the area, to buy their nearby land holdings at exorbitant prices. "Everybody knows they[the former employees] are motivated by self-interest, and by making these false claims they're jeopardising the livelihoods of several hundred villagers and their families." said Nucharee Sailasuta, the managing director of Lotus Hall Co, the main contractor and partner in the gold-mining operations in the area. Ms Nucharee rejected activists' claims the gold mine has caused environmental and health hazards. "While Lotus Hall welcomes any opportunity to work with the authorities, I will call on them[the authorities] to let common sense prevail and resolve this issue quickly. "We need to secure a prosperous long-term future for my employees, their families and the community," she added. Nantida Sangwal, a protest leader, said the locals are not concerned about the actions of the mining company, since they have been threatened several times in the past. She is facing a defamation suit by the mine operator but prosecutors have yet to indict her. Ms Nantida denied claims the company's former employees were behind the protest, saying the opposition to the mine and the impacts on the community from it have been swelling for a decade, while the company had laid off the employees in question only recently. She said it was not right that the mine operator threatens locals who are seeking help from the junta. "We are asking you[Lotus Hall Co] to improve yourselves, but you come out to intimidate us instead, widening divisions in society," she said. She insisted the mine has hurt the environment. "We even have to buy vegetables from other areas." she said. Source: Bangkok Post (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/432816/mine-company-threatens-locals-with-legal-action)

The military and police on Thursday evening detained four academics and three student activists for organizing and participating in a seminar about the end of dictatorial regimes in foreign countries after forcing the seminar to be stopped. They were released about 9.30pm. The seminar was a part of the political seminar series "Democracy Classroom", organized by League of Liberal Thammasat for Democracy (LLTD), a progressive Thammasat student group. The seminar featured four academics, Nidhi Eoseewong, Prajak Kongkirati, Chaowarit Chaowsangrat, Janjira Sombutpoonsiri. It was held at Thammasat University, Rangsit Campus. After about 30 minutes into the seminar the police came in, detained all of them and brought them to Klong Luang police station. "Today we have to close the classroom now, not because that I don''t want to teach, but as long as we can not make the university the place where ideas can be exchanged, Thai society will have no future," Prajak Kongkirati told the participants before leaving the "classroom.' Before the event was held, the military asked the university to force the students to cancel the event. The university then locked the room earlier assigned for the seminar. The students, however, continued with their plan and held the event at the hall on the first floor of a university building instead. "Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha once told representatives of foreign businessmen that he is not a dictator," posted Piyabutra Saengkanokkul, Thammasat law lecturer and member of the courageous Nitirat law academic group, on his Facebook account on Thursday evening. "The NCPO has never admit it is a dictator. Today's seminar talks about dictators overseas. Why the army and authorities need to be so scared?" This is not the first time that the military tried to stop a seminar at Thammasat. On 8 August, the Thai military 'asked for cooperation' from Thammasat to stop an academic seminar on the interim charter, held by the same group of student activists; however, the university and the event organizers defied the military. A letter, signed by Col Noppadon Tawrit, Commander of the Kings Guard's 1st Field Artillery Regiment, to the university rector, states "the seminar may affect the attempts to solve national conflict", so the university should stop the event in order "to prevent the resurgence of differences in political attitude." Before the event started, there were negotiations between the event organizer, representatives of the university and the police. The resolution of the meeting was that the university would not stop the event and that the student group could hold the event at their own risk. Source: Prachatai (Prachatai

On 24 August 2014, Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, a long-time human rights defender and director of the Cross Cultural Foundation (CrCF), received a warrant summoning her to report to the Yala police station by 25 August 2014. She has postponed her reporting to the Yala police station until later in September. The warrant was in relation to an investigation carried out pursuant to a legal complaint of libel and defamation filed against her by Army Task Force 41. The complaint accuses Pornpen Khongkachonkiet and CrCF of causing damage to the reputation of the Army by disseminating an open letter about a case of torture carried out in southern Thailand. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned that Army has responded to the work of CrCF defending human rights by threatening legal proceedings, rather than taking necessary action to end and redress torture. The AHRC views the judicial harassment of Pornpen Khonkhachonkiet as another indication of the downward slide and deepening human rights crisis in Thailand. Since the declaration of martial law in southern Thailand in January 2004, the Cross Cultural Foundation has been at the forefront of documenting and calling for justice in cases of torture, enforced disappearance, extrajudicial killing, and other human rights violations. The work of the organization, and especially the work carried out by Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, is in the service of education citizens about their rights, recording rights violations, and pushing for accountability and redress. As part of this work, they routinely document cases and aid victims in filing both formal complaints and disseminating this information to the public via the media. In this case, the complaint was filed by Army Task Force 41 after an open letter which detailed a case of torture of a young man in Yala circulated in public (Some of the details of the open letter were published online by Isra News Agency here). The Army has claimed that the young man was not tortured, and so therefore the open letter constitutes libel and defamation. The judicial harassment of Pornpen Khongkachonkiet is part of a broader pattern of harassment and legal proceedings carried out against those who expose torture, call for accountability and defend human rights in Thailand. The Government of Thailand acceded to the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Degrading or Inhuman Treatment (CAT) on 2 October 2007. As a state party to the CAT, Thailand is obligated to take action to prevent torture, hold perpetrators to account, and provide redress and protection to victims of torture. The AHRC has noted that this is not always the case, such as in the criminal prosecution of Suderueman Maleh, a survivor of torture in southern Thailand, who was sentenced to two years in prison in 2011 after he brought a torture complaint against a police officer who was later cleared of responsibility (AHRC-STM-103-2011). Similarly, when Kritsuda Khunasen, who was arbitrarily detained for nearly a month following the 22 May 2014 coup by the National Council for Peace and Order, released two video interviews detailed her torture and abuse while in military custody, the junta's response was to threaten and discredit her (AHRC-STM-151-2014). The appropriate response in all of these cases would be for the military and government to initiate independent investigations into torture. The Asian Human Rights Commission condemns the judicial harassment of Pornpen Khongkachonkiet and calls for the immediate cessation of the legal proceedings against her. Further, the Asian Human Rights Commission calls on the Thai government to pass the relevant domestic legislation and take action to redress and end torture, in line with its obligations as a state party to the CAT. UPDATE 25/08/2014: Ms. Khongkachonkiet has been able to delay reporting to the police until late September.

A 1,400km march for energy reform ended almost before it began when military authorities, citing martial law, halted the trek and detained its 12 core organisers. The "Partnership on Energy Reform" group was taken to the Senanarong army camp in Hat Yai district of Songkhla province Wednesday after a second round of negotiations with the 42nd Military Circle failed. Worrapon Worrapan, chief-of-staff of the military circle, told the activists instead to convey their position to policymakers on the soon-to-be-established National Reform Council. "I understand what you're doing, but it's against[martial] law," Col Worrapon told the group. "I don't want to enforce it. Please stop right here and use the right channels.'' The marchers - comprising advocates from Songkhla, Phatthalung, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Satun, Krabi and Chumphon provinces - are members of an energy-reform network of civic groups based in the South, Central Plains and Northeast. About 100 people began the march, and all but the 20 activists went home after the first day. Led by Ekkachai Issaratha, they had planned to walk 16 to 18 kilometres a day and had hoped to submit their five-point demand list to the National Council for Peace and Order after arriving in Bangkok in approximately 77 to 87 days. The group's main demand is the removal of new coal-fired power plants from the country's energy strategy, both for public health and environmental conservation reasons. Other demands include a shift from the current energy concession system to a production sharing system; establishment of a national company to ensure the public recieves "fair" prices for petroleum products; clearly divided zones for petroleum production, cultivation and tourism; and an accelerated effort to enact a renewable-energy law. Even before hitting the road, activists had to deal with the 42nd Military Circle, which tried to get them to cancel their march, saying it violated the martial law prohibition on political gatherings However, the activists insisted they would continue, arguing that their rally had nothing to do with politics and was not intended to incite public disorder. They did not get far. By Tuesday evening, Mr Ekkachai's group had reached Songkhla's Bang Klam district and set up a small stage to deliver an address on energy reform. He insisted then that he would continue to march until soldiers arrested him. He did not have to wait long. The military relaunched talks in Rattaphum district in the same province. When the marchers refused to stop voluntarily, they were forced to. Twelve key leaders were still detained at the army camp. The fate of the others is unclear. The detained campaigners include Dr Supat Hasuwannakit, director of Chana hospital in Songkhla. Group members wrote on their "Energy for All" Facebook page that the trek was ''temporarily suspended". While Hat Yai lies about 1,000 kilometres from Bangkok, the group did not plan to use the most-direct or shortest route to the capital. Instead, they planned to hike through areas where there were high levels of public awareness on energy reforms. As a result, the total distance of the march was estimated at 1,400 kilometres and would have taken more than two months to complete.

Prom Jarana, a land rights activist and member of the Assembly of the Poor, who was detained by the military on Thursday mornng has been released, according to the Assembly of the Poor. The Assembly reported on its Facebook page at 10.30pm that the 65-year-old activist safely arrived his house around 8pm of Thursday. About five military officers at 10.30 am on Thursday detained him at his home in the Buriram Province, after a week of tension between the military and villagers over a land issue, according to the Assembly of the Poor. The military did not inform him why he was arrested or where he would be detained. According to the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), Prom on Tuesday joined a delegation of the Assembly of the Poor to Bangkok. The delegation gathered at Thai Army headquarters to demand that the ruling junta, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), put an end to the ongoing forced evictions of villagers by army soldiers from six villages of Non Din Daeng District in Buriram. Also on Wednesday, Prom visited Kao Baat, one of the villages affected by the forced evictions in Buriram.

Military officers on Saturday detained Thanapol Eawsakul, editor of Fah Deaw Kan (Same Sky) magazine, for another seven days, stating that Thanapol had violated his release order by posting messages on Facebook deemed violating the junta's orders. Several plainclothes officers arrested him at a cafe in Phaholyothin Soi 7 after the military had earlier called him to meet for "a talk" at the cafe. He was put into a private car and taken to the King's Guard, 2nd Cavalry Division in the Sanam Pao area. Later he was taken to the Police Crime Suppression Division where he will be detained under martial law for seven days. Thanapol was earlier arrested on May 23 during an anti-coup protest in front of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. Later he was detained for seven days after his name appeared on a summons list in Order No 5 of the National Council for Peace and Order. Those who hvve been summoned and released have had to sign agreements with the military stating that they will not participate in any political activity or travel abroad without permission of the NCPO. According to the rights NGO iLaw, academics from Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Political Science, Assoc. Prof. Puangthong Pawakapan and Asst. Prof. Pitch Pongsawat, were also invited for talks on July 3 and 4 and released on the same day. The two academics led a group called the Assembly for the Defence of Democracy which held anti-coup campaigns and advocated elections prior to the May 22 coup. The NCPO also issued summons to 18 more people, not via a televised announcement as usual, but by sending orders to the homes of those summoned.

The ultra-nationalist Thai newspaper Manager ASTV has published a "mock column" describing in graphic detail of how prisoners will gang-rape a fugitive anti-coup LGBT activist when she is finally arrested. Published under the newspaper's parody section, known as"Phujadkuan," the mock article describes how the the military junta's National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) will arrest and send LGBT activist Aum Neko to a prison in Bangkok to "return happiness" to the male inmates who have been deprived of sex for years. The article also says that Jakrapob Penkair, a former politician and leader of an anti-coup organisation in exile, will be arrested and sent to prison alongside Ms. Aum, whose real name is Saran Chuichai. "[Mr. Jakrapob and Ms. Aum] will be bestowed to the inmates so they can provide intimate, wet happiness, with thrusts reaching up to their intestines," the article wrote. "We expect that the pair will tour the entire prison and offer their bodily happiness to every prison section, from the first section to the death row section." The article then quoted a fictitious inmate as saying he is longing to be the first prisoner to have sex with Ms. Aum. "Whenever I see nong[sister] Saran, or Aum Neko, I always feel aroused. Judging from her behaviour, I think she has a lot of weird and difficult sex positions. I will try to be the first in the line to have sex with her," the fictitious inmate said as he masturbated, according to the parody piece. Other parts in the article contain threats of gang-raping Mr. Jakrapob, who Manager ASTV has previously not-jokingly accused of being gay. Ms. Aum, who is enrolled at Thammasat University, is a well-known transgender activist who has campaigned for more freedom of expression on campus. She is known for undertaking controversial actions to promote her cause, such as striking a provocative pose in a photo with the statue of Thammasat founder, Pridi Banomyong. Ms. Aum has also spoken out against Thailand's harsh lese majeste (insult of monarchy) laws, as well as the 22 May military coup. The military junta summoned her to report shortly after the coup, but she has refused to turn herself in. Her whereabouts are currently unknown although she continues to criticise the junta on social media. "I strongly condemn this kind of news not because it is about me but because everyone who has a different opinion in this society should not be treated like this," Ms. Aum told Khaosod English. "They[Manager ASTV] live with hatred, not the duty to report the truth. Will we call this action an acceptable thing in the world of so called democracy and humanity?" The "Phujadkuan" section of Manager ASTV newspaper has a history of publishing "mock articles" which include false and libelous remarks about individuals who belong to the political faction that supported the former government. For example, the paper published a fake interview in March quoting a progressive actress as saying she changed her surname to "Shinawatra" in support of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the de facto leader of the political camp that supported the former government deposed in the 22 May coup. The piece also "quoted" the actress, Intira Charoenpura, as urging Mr. Thaksin to form a new country by leading a secession movement in the North. The piece became popular among pro-monarchy Thais, many of whom failed to realise that it was a satire. In 2009 Mr. Thaksin's lawyer pressed charges against Manager ASTV on behalf of his client, accusing the newspaper of defaming Mr. Thaksin by publishing a photo that was doctored to depict the former Prime Minister revealing his testicles.

Thai police on Wednesday charged Worachet Pakeerut, a law academic from Thammasat University and member of the courageous Nitirat group, for not reporting to the junta -- on time. He was released from Bangkok Remand Prison at about 6.30 pm on Wednesday. Worachet flew back from Hong Kong to Don Muang International Airport in Bangkok on Monday. The Immigration Police detained him and took him to the Army Club in Theves, Bangkok. He was later taken to the 11th Infantry Regiment for interrogation. On Wednesday at 10.20 am, the military took Worachet to the Crime Suppression Division for interrogation. The police decided to charge him with defying the coup makers' order. At around 1 pm, he was taken to the military court where the police submitted a custody petition. At around 5 pm, the military court granted his bail request. His family put up 20,000 baht in cash as security. The academic was summoned twice on May 24 and June 9. On June 10, Patcharin Pakeerut, Worachet's wife, submitted a letter to the military, saying that Worachet did not intend to flee, and would delay reporting due to his health problems. On June 7, another member of Nitirat, Sawatree Suksri, was detained at Don Muang airport and detained by the military for three days after she returned from a US State Department-sponsored trip to the United States and had not reported when summoned by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). Sawatree, however, was not charged. In March 2012, Worachet was assaulted by royalist twins. The twins said they were dissatisfied with Worachet's staunch opposition to the l��se majest_ law. Nitirat is a group of seven law scholars from Thammasat University. The group has proposed an amendment of the l��se majest_ law in line with human rights principles as well as a draft amnesty bill for political prisoners. UPDATE 10/07/2014: Worachet appeared before court again, where the police's request to extend his detention by another 12 days was granted (for the third time). He was, however, again granted bail.

Activist Jittra Cotshadet was arrested after she arrived on a flight from overseas at Suvarnabhumi airport on Friday, but denied she violated the order of the military's National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to report to military officials. The 42-year-old labour activist and candidate in the cancelled Feb 2 election was apprehended after she disembarked from a flight from Sweden. Immigration Police asked her to sign a document conceding that she defied the 44th announcement of the NCPO summoning her to report to the military, but Ms Jittra refused to sign it. She was taken to the Crime Suppression Division for formal charge procedures. Ms Jittra, an advocate of bail rights for political prisoners including those on lese majeste charges, departed Thailand on April 24, a day after red-shirt poet Maineung Kor Kuntheera was murdered in Bangkok. "I did not defy the NCPO's order at all. Upon learning I was summoned I reported on June 3 at the Thai embassy in Stockholm, where I have been holidaying with Swedish friends at their invitation," Ms Jittra said. "I think the embassy is part of the Thai state and since I could not get back to Bangkok right away, that's the thing I could do." Ms Jittra rose to prominence as a leader of the labour union at the factory operated by lingerie producer Triumph. She was fired from her job. She endeared herself with the red-shirts when she put up a paper banner saying, "Only good at Talking" in a protest against the government of former prime minister Abhisit Vejjaijva. At the Feb 2 polls, which were later voided by the Constitutional Court, Ms Jittra, a Suphanburi native, ran as a party-list MP for the Palang Prachatipatai (Democratic Force Party). The party was a breakaway from the Pheu Thai Party, which supported the controversial blanket amnesty bill. Ms Jittra and many other red-shirt sympathisers disagreed with a blanket amnesty for all involved in the protests since 2006, because it would also include members of the security forces who shot and killed people during the crackdown on the April-May 2010 protests. The NCPO's 44th announcement at 8.20pm on June 1 summoned Ms Jittra and others to report to them on June s. She said she reported to the Thai embassy in Stockholm on June 3.

On May 25, around 3.30 p.m, the army searched the house of Somyot Phueksakasemsuk, editor of a pro-red shirt magazine currently serving 11 years in prison for lese majeste. The army arrested Sukanya Phrueksakasemsuk, Somyot's wife, who has been campaigning for political prisoners, and his son Panitan Phrueksakasemsuk, a fourth-year Law student a Thammasat University and an activist himself, taking them both to the Army Club. According to Sukanya, the army also seized two laptops. Somyot was active in labor movements before becoming the leader of a red shirt faction called June 24 for Democracy. He was sentenced on January 23, 2013, when the court found him guilty of publishing two articles deemed defamatory against the monarchy. UPDATE: Sukanya and Panitan Phueksakasemsuk were released on May 25, around 10 p.m., however their siezed computer laptops were not yet returned. Sukanya posted on her Facebook afterwards on May 26 that they "were asked to refrain from giving interview, joining any protest nor expressing opinions into the public for a while in order to maintain peace."

The military on Friday summoned student activists from Khon Kaen University, in northeastern Khon Kaen Province, to have them sign an agreement to stop anti-coup activities. In the North East, the junta has kept a close watch on universities, such as Maha Sarakham and Ubon Ratchathani. The military earlier summoned academics and student activists, and deployed troops on campus. In the latest development at Khon Kaen University on Friday, five leading members of the Dao Din group, which has been very active on the issue of elections, human rights, and local community rights, reported to the military at the 23rd Military Circle at Sri Patcharin Camp. The talks between the military and the student activists first began in the presence of university lecturers and human rights activists. The military expressed concerns about the group's symbolic activities against the coup and asked the students to stop all activities. They were also asked if they were against the coup and why. The military later asked the others to leave and "asked" the students to sign a paper, admitting that their past anti-coup activities violated the military junta's orders and agreeing to stop political activities. The military also asked the students to stop mobilising anti-mine activities in Ban Na Nong Bong village, Wang Sapung district, Loei Province, where the villagers face threats and intimidation for opposing a mine. The students insisted that they will continue to support the villagers. In the end, the military told the five members to have the other four members of the group report to the military in order to "talk" and sign "agreements".

The trimonthly Same Sky journal, an academic journal which constantly criticizes the lese majeste law and the establishment, has sent a letter to its members, saying that they will indefinitely delay the publishing of the journal due to climate of fear. Same Sky editor Thanapol Eawsakul was one of the first people summoned by the military junta. He was arrested for protesting the junta and later detained without charges for seven days. He was also forced to sign an agreement to stop political activities. "The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has enforced censorship measure and control content on media extensively. Under this circumstance, the Same Sky publishing house has been inevitably affected. "Same Sky journal has been targeted. This has created the climate of fear to everyone in the production line. For safety of everyone, Same Sky editorial staff decided to delay the publishing of the new journal. When there is an opportunity again, we will publish and deliver the journal to our members and sell it again." The letter is signed by Thanapol on June 3.

Sawatree Suksri, a law lecturer from Thammasat University and a member of the Nitirat (Enlightened Jurists) group, was arrested at the airport on Saturday after she travelled back from the United States on a US embassy study trip on human rights.She was arrested at Suvarnabhumi airport around 12.30 p.m., shortly after she landed. The Immigration Office detained her while coordinating with the army to take her away. A person close to Sawatree said she travelled to the US before the coup took place on May 22 and planned to report to the military after her return. Sawatree had already informed the University about her intention to report to the military on Monday, June 9. Sawatree was on the May 23 summons list together with Assoc. Prof. Worachet Pakeerut, also a member of the Nitirat group, and Dr. Somsak Jeamteerasakul, a history lecturer from Thammasat University known for his criticism of the monarchy and l��se majest_ law. Worachet and Somsak have not reported themselves to the military. Nitirat is a group of seven law scholars from Thammasat University. In the past, the group has proposed an amendment of the l��se majest_ law in line with human rights principles as well as a draft amnesty bill for political prisoners. UPDATE 10/06/14: Suksri was released from military custody.

Australian journalist Alan Morison has declared he is prepared to go to jail to defend media freedom in Thailand where defamation laws are being increasingly used to silence criticism. ""This is a clear issue of freedom of media and the military exceeding its role in using an onerous law unjustly,'' says Morison, 66, who edits and publishes Phuketwan, a small but popular news website on the resort island of Phuket. A defamation lawsuit launched by Thailand's navy against Mr Morison and his colleague Chutima Sidasathian on Christmas Eve is one of about 1600 defamation cases that were initiated in the south-east Asian country in 2013, many of them by powerful interests. Court records show that of the defamation cases that proceed to trial in Thailand an average of 96 per cent lead to convictions, one of the world's highest rates for the crime. Mr Morison and Ms Chutima could face a maximum five years' jail and fines if convicted under the Computer Crimes Act. If convicted on criminal defamation charges they could be jailed for up to two years. The navy's unprecedented action has prompted criticism from the United Nations, human rights groups, non-government organisations and media outlets and unions both in Thailand and other countries. The charges relate to a story published in Phuketwan in July 2013 that quoted a Reuters news agency investigation alleging that some members of the Thai military were involved in networks smuggling Muslim Rohingya boat people from Myanmar. No action has yet been filed against Reuters, a multinational company, although the navy has said charges against two of its reporters are expected to be laid shortly. Phuketwan has closely followed the plight of the Rohingya who have been described by the UN as among the world's most persecuted people. Mr Morison says he and Ms Chutima have discussed the possibility of going to jail on the principle of media freedom in what would be a David-and-Goliath fight against the navy which has 70,000 active personnel. ""These are trumped up charges. There is an important principle at stake,'' he says. ""The Rohingya have no spokesperson, no leader, but through Phuketwan's ongoing coverage the torment of these people continues to be revealed.'' Mr Morison, a former senior Age editor, sold his apartment in Melbourne and set-up Phuketwan, which provides local and foreign news coverage for Phuket where an average 20,000 Australians holiday each month. If Mr Morison is jailed he would be one of the first editors to be incarcerated in the country since the Bangkok Post's Michael Gorman was jailed for three months over defamation proceedings in the early 1980s. ""The Thai navy's lawsuit is a reckless attempt to curtail journalists' reporting on alleged human trafficking by its officers,'' says Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. ""Unless the government withdraws the case, its impact will be felt far beyond those reporting on abuses against the Rohingya - and could have a choking effect on all investigative reporting in Thailand,'' Mr Adams says. David Streckfuss, an American academic who is an expert on Thai laws, told a recent forum at the Foreign Correspondent's Club of Thailand that use of defamation laws ""have become a kind of way of controlling political discourse in Thailand''. Andrew Drummond, a British investigative reporter in Thailand, said up to 30 foreigners have fled the country following threats of defamation that would involve years of litigation in the courts and thousands of dollars in bail payments. Many of them had been swindled by criminals making the threats, he said. Mr Morison and Ms Chutima, a respected Thai journalist, have formally denied the charges that could take years to be heard in Thai courts. UPDATE: 17 April 2015 The Thai authorities are urged to drop criminal proceedings against two journalists for reporting on trafficking of ethnic Rohingya "boat people", Human Rights Watch said today. "The Thai authorities should direct the navy to unconditionally drop its baseless charges against the two journalists," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "This effort to silence media criticism has backfired against the navy, which should act swiftly to cut its losses." Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian, the editor and correspondent of the news website Phuketwan, were charged one year ago, on April 17, 2014, with criminal defamation and the Computer Crimes Act based on a complaint filed by the Thai navy. If convicted on the criminal defamation charges, Morison and Sidasathian could be imprisoned for up to two years. Under the Computer Crime Act, they face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to Bt100,000 (US$3,125). They are scheduled to go to trial on July 14-16. The charges centered on a paragraph in the Phuketwan online newspaper on July 17, 2013, that cited a Reuters investigative report alleging that some navy officials "work systematically with smugglers to profit from the surge in fleeing Rohingya," and that they earn about Bt2,000 (US$63) per Rohingya "for spotting a boat or turning a blind eye." The report was part of a Reuters investigative series on the plight of the Rohingya, an oppressed Muslim minority in Burma, that won a Pulitzer Prize. In the statement released by its New York office, Human Rights Watch said that criminal defamation laws should be abolished, as criminal penalties are always disproportionate punishments for reputational harm and infringe on free expression. "Criminal defamation laws are open to easy abuse, resulting in very harsh consequences, including imprisonment. As repeal of criminal defamation laws in an increasing number of countries shows, such laws are not necessary for the purpose of protecting reputations," it said. It furthered that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Thailand has ratified, guarantees the right to freedom of expression, which includes the right to impart information. The United Nations Human Rights Committee, which monitors state compliance with the covenant, has expressed its concern at the misuse of defamation laws to criminalize freedom of expression and has said that such laws should never be used when expression is without malice and in the public interest. "The Phuketwan journalists are among the few who are still regularly reporting on the pervasive human trafficking of Rohingya in Thailand," Adams said. "Thailand's efforts to show progress in tackling human trafficking are seriously damaged by this shoot-the-messenger action against journalists exposing abuses."

The military junta on Sunday night ordered 38 people, including a Prachatai journalist, to report to the military on Monday and Tuesday at the Thai Army Club, Theves. The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), an administrative body under the coup makers, issued Order no. 42-44 at around 9.30 pm. Ten names appear on Orders no. 42 and no. 43, mostly lawyers and politicians. Order no. 44 contains 28 names, most of them having been involved in campaigns to amend/abolish the notorious l��se majest_ law and other left-leaning activities. Prachatai journalist Tewarit Maneechay is included. Before joining Thai-language Prachatai in 2012, Tewarit was active as a political activist and labour unionist. The lists are: Order No. 42/2014: 1. Mr. Karom Phonpornklang, Somyos Pruksakasemsuk's lawyer 2. Mr. Ruangkrai Likhitwattana, Pheu Thai Party member Order No. 43/2014: 1. Police Colonel Narit Sawaengjit 2. Mrs. Noi Daengpao 3. Mss. Karin Prachan 4. Mr. Sittichai Kittinaesaworn 5. Mr. Praphat Chongsongwon, State Railway of Thailand Director and former Pheu Thai candidate for Bangkok Governor 6. Mr. Chakraphan Yomchinda, executive of MCOT TV 7. Mr. Banyat Yenjaichuay 8. Mr. Narongsak Plai-aram Order No. 44/2014 1. Mr. Suthachai Yimprasert, lecturer at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Arts and a key red-shirt figure 2. Mr. Kengkij Kitirianglarp, lecturer at Chiang Mai University's Faculty of Political Science, and activist at the left-leaning Prakaifire group. 3. Mr. Ratchaphong Ochaphong, activist at Prakaifire group 4. Mr. Tewarit Maneechay, activist at Prakaifire group and journalist at Prachatai 5. Ms. Ulairat Chuduang 6. Mr. Amarin Sairam 7. Mr. Niphon Phadungsilpphairot 8. Mrs. Pranee Danwattananusorn, wife of Surachai Danwattananusorn, a former l��se majest_ prisoner 9. Mr. Kittisak Sujittharom, former student activist at the Student Federation of Thailand (SFT) 10. Ms. Jittra Cotchadet, union rights activist, key red-shirt figure, and former Triumph Thailand Union President and founder of Try Arm, a workers' cooperatives. 11. Mrs. Salilthip na Phattalung, activist at Prakaifire group 12. Mr. Suwat Lambutr 13. Mr. Seriphap Sunthornchaiphak 14. Mr. Pritnarinthorn Thonburiboonsuk 15. Mr. Sarawut Phuthornyothin 16. Mr. Wanchai Chongcharoonhiran 17. Mr. Thanaporn Sriyakul, leader of the Commoner People Party, which proposed to amend the l��se majest_ law, among other progressive policies. 18. Mr. Pruek Prueksunan 19. Mr. Phiphat Phansuwan 20. Mrs. Yuphin Kongchandee 21. Mr. Chalieo Chankied 22. Mr. Sriphop Kornarut 23. Mr. Ekaraj Netradee 24. Mr. Panya Surakhamchornroj, owner of an independent broadcasting service which usually presents live red-shirt and academic seminars. 25. Mr. Wanchaloem Satsaksit 26. Mr. Thanat Srinithikosit 27. Capt. Surapol Nawamawat 28. Mr. Kothawut Buraphitak Prakaifire is a network of left-leaning activists, most of whom are labor rights activists and former student activists.

A graduate student from Thammasat University was charged on Friday with lese majeste offence after he was detained for seven days after protesting the coup last week. The police claimed the military had received evidence taken from the defendant's Facebook post. Apichart (last name withheld) was taken to Bangkok Remand Prison on Friday after the court denied him bail, citing flight risk. The 25-year-old man was also charged with Section 14 of Computer Crime Act and violation of the junta's order. Despite guarantee from Deputy Dean of Thammasat University Parinya Tewanarumitkul, the court rejected it saying that their relationship is not as close as relatives. He was arrested on May 23 when he joined the anti-coup protest in front of Bangkok Art and Cultural Center, and later was detained at the Police's Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok. Apichart works as an intern for The Law Reform Commission of Thailand. UPDATE 2/06/2014: Mr.Apichart was denied bail by the Criminal Court for the second time. His mother had put forward 500,000 baht and another 500,000 through the Government Savings Bank Lottery, but the court ruled that flight risk remained high.

Hundreds of masked men have attacked villagers in Loei province who are protesting chemical contamination from a local gold mine. Witnesses said over 300 assailants stormed barricades set up by villagers in Na Nong Bong village in Wang Sapung district last night. The barricades were intended to block operations at the nearby gold mine owned by Tungkum Company. The incident is the latest development in the long-running dispute between the villagers and Tungkam Company, which is a subsidary of the mining giant Tongkah Harbour Public Company Ltd. For almost ten years, Na Na Bong villagers have tried to shut down the mine because of the widespread contamination of lethal substances they say its operation has caused. In 2013, Na Nong Bong villagers erected the "Wall of Heart" barricade to stop trucks from entering the mine. Last night's masked attackers, many of whom were armed according to the witnesses, quickly overwhelmed the 200 villagers who were guarding the barricade. At least 30 villagers were held hostage at gunpoint while the masked assailants proceeded to dismantle the barricades. Angsana Puangpaiwan, a 22-year-old resident, said the attackers arrived on two pick-up trucks and four minivans. "Dozens of shots" were fired into the air to frighten the villagers, Ms. Angsana said. When other villagers learned about the confrontation at the barricade, they rushed to the scene and attempted to help those who were being held hostage by the armed assailants, Ms. Angsana said. However, the perpetrators reportedly charged at the crowd of villagers, beating the group back. During the clash, a convoy of twelve 18-wheeler truckers drove past the remnants of the barricades into the gold mine, presumably to collect the mined ores left behind by the company's employees. Rows of armed, masked men guarded the convoy while the minerals were being collected. After the convoy left, the militants reportedly released their hostages and forced villagers to delete any images of the clash from their cellphones. Some villagers were also forced to surrender their cellphones to the armed men. Over 40 villagers were reportedly injured in the assault, and they were only transported to hospital after the perpetrators left the scene, witnesses say. The villagers pressed charges at Wang Sapung Police Station this afternoon, accusing the perpetrators of attempted murder, assault, and theft. Na Nong Bong residents began their protests against the mine in 2006 after some of them began suffering illnesses they suspected were caused by the nearby operation of the Tungkam gold mine. From 2007-2011, studies by local authorities and environmental agencies reported a widespread contamination of deadly substances such as lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, and cyanide in the area adjacent to the gold mine. Despite the published studies and a lawsuit filed by the villagers to the Administrative Court, the Tungkam gold mine was permitted to continue its operation. Frustrated by the lack of concrete response from the authorities and the company, Na Nong Bong villagers erected the "Wall of Heart" barricade in late 2013. Tungkam Company hit back with a lawsuit to the Loei Provincial Court, accusing the village's leaders of obstructing the company's enterprise. The lawsuit also demands 50 million baht in damages from the villagers.

Military authorities in Thailand should immediately release a local journalist who was taken into military custody on Sunday after being summoned for questioning, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Military authorities have summoned and detained dozens of politicians, political activists, and outspoken academics following the military's seizure of power from Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan's caretaker administration on May 22, The Associated Press reported. Most of the detainees are accused of being associated with the ousted government, the report said. In the roundup over the weekend, at least 35 individuals, including at least one journalist, were summoned for questioning. Many have been detained, according to reports. On Saturday, Pravit Rojanaphruk, columnist for the English-language daily The Nation, was summoned by the National Peace and Order Maintaining Council, Agence France-Presse reported. He and his lawyer were detained when they responded to the summons the next day, the reports said. Their whereabouts are unknown, according to local reports. No charges have been disclosed. Pravit has written stories criticizing Thailand's l��se majest_ law for several years, reports said and has been critical of the recent coup. On Monday, Thailand's military leader, Army Commander General Prayuth Chan-ocha, was endorsed by the royal family, which is seen as instrumental in legitimizing power, reports said. L��se majest_ laws, which shield Thailand's royal family from criticism, carry prison penalties of up to 15 years. "Journalists are vital to the flow of information, particularly during this time of political upheaval," said CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney. "It's not the army's job to decide what news organizations can publish. The detention of Pravit Rojanaphruk sends a chilling message, which must not stand. He should be released immediately." On Tuesday, Thai military authorities summoned two journalists for questioning, accusing them of asking Gen. Prayuth "inappropriate" questions in a news conference, according to reports. The journalists, who were only identified in news reports as working for Thairath and Bangkok Post, were not detained. On May 22, military officers detained Wanchai Tantiwitthayapithak, deputy director of Thailand Public Broadcasting Service, after he aired news on YouTube despite military orders not to broadcast. Wanchai was later released, according to local reports.

On 12 May 2013, Mr. Suraswadi reportedly gave a media interview while checking the status of preparations of the 2nd Asia-Pacific Water Summit, warning environmental activists, water-resources activists, and other members of civil society that they would be arrested if they protested at the upcoming 2nd Asia-Pacific Water Summit. He allegedly stated that "if you come to protest you will be arrested; do not come to protest. Those who violate this instruction will be arrested; this is not a place for demonstration. . . Do not come, it is against the law and I will order your arrest.Those people in Chiang Mai should not allow these garbage-like people to clutter up the meeting, follow what I just said". 28/05/2013- JAL sent by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; and the Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation. No response has been given as of May 2014.

On 5 March, Ekkachai Hongkangwan, a political activist, got hit again in the head after attending a hearing with the Medical Council of Thailand against Dr. Rienthong Nanna. Two people rode a bike without a registration sign to approach Ekkachai. The biker wore black jacket and a helmet, while another one at the back wore camouflage mask and clothes. One of them battered Ekkachai in the head with a stick, and another was coming with an iron pipe. Fortunately, a good citizen intervened, so the offenders fled away before having a chance to use it. This is the sixth time that Ekkachai was physically assaulted. Earlier, his car was also torched in front of his house. Ekkachai had injury in the head and bruises in his arms and arrived at Phra Nang Klao Hospital with a help from rescuers. When it happened, the political activist was leaving the Medical Council of Thailand at 16.00 after having a hearing with an ethical committee to launch an investigation against Dr. Rienthong Nanna, the director of Mongkutwattana Hospital. He had filed a complaint on 17 January in order to revoke Rienthong's medical license on the ground of discrimination, verbal abuses, and posting inappropriate statements on Facebook. These actions, Ekkachai claimed, are against the medical ethics. Rienthong Nanna is a chairman of Rubbish Collection Organisation (RCO), the ultra-royalist vigilante group very active in enforcing lese majeste law and promoting royalist agenda. In January, Rienthong has threatened a lecturer at the College of Politics and Governance, Mahasarakham University after posting in support of the election in the context of its delay and coronation scheduling. After the threatening, Ekachai and Chokchai wanted to talk to Rienthong, leading to a debate on street about that issue as well as everything else that was happening.

The National Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed the cybersecurity bill in its second and third readings with 133 votes in favour and 16 abstentions. The bill gives authorities the right to bypass court orders in "critical" situations. The NLA spent two hours and 20 minutes considering and voting on the bill, which had been amended by the scrutiny committee. No one opposed the bill, with speakers only seeking detailed explanations on some points. A vote was called on each of the 81 sections of the bill. Its more important content includes the establishment of the National Cybersecurity Commission, to be chaired by the prime minister. The panel will set policies. There will also be a committee to supervise cybersecurity. The minister of digital economy and society will head it. The committee is authorised to order subordinates to gather information, documents and witnesses to support analyses on cybersecurity threats. The bill also empowers the secretary-general of the National Cybersecurity Commission to send officials to places believed to be involved in critical cybersecurity threats, without having to seek court permission. Relevant courts could be informed of such actions afterwards. The secretary-general of the commission and the cybersecurity supervisory committee can also continuously demand up-to-date information from parties related to cybersecurity threats and such parties must cooperate, under the provisions of the legislation. It will become law when published in the Royal Gazette.