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Re: Protests update
Thailand: Detention of anti-corruption protesters shows increasing repression by military junta
7 December 2015
The arrest of a group of 37 activists in Thailand ahead of a planned anti-corruption protest is the latest evidence that the countryтАЩs military government is using arbitrary powers of detention to silence peaceful activism, Amnesty International said today.
The group of 36 students and a lawyer were detained on Monday morning while travelling by train to Rajabhakti Park in Hua Hin, central Thailand, to attend a demonstration against alleged military corruption.... (read more).... https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/ ... ary-junta/
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Re: Protests update
The ambassador might be summoned
Government takes aim at UK envoy comments
Werachon says Kent backs 'law-breakers'
Published: 09/12/2015
The government has slammed the British ambassador's comments "supporting law-breakers" and is considering whether to summon him for talks.
By "law-breakers", the government was referring to a group of anti-coup activists who call themselves Prachathipatai Sueksa (Democracy Studies). They were stopped at a railway station in Ban Pong district of Ratchaburi province while they were on a train bound for Rajabhakti Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan.
The activists were taken to an army base in Nakhon Pathom where they were detained. All the students were later released from military custody. The majority of the students -- 30 -- signed an agreement promising not to engage in such activities again. Six refused to sign and two more withdrew their signatures.
The British ambassador to Thailand, Mark Kent, wrote in a Twitter post on Monday that, "I had hoped the fact 200 people [were] allowed to demonstrate at the US embassy might be relaxation of freedom of assembly," referring to a rally that took place in late November in front of the US embassy on Wireless Road against US ambassador Glyn Davies.... (read more)... http://m.bangkokpost.com/news/788833
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Re: Protests update
US Ambassador to Thailand Glyn Davies under probe for lese majeste
Dec 9, 2015
Tan Hui Yee
Thailand Correspondent
BANGKOK - The new United States ambassador to Thailand is under probe for alleged lese majeste over comments that he made at an event in Bangkok last month.
Mr Glyn Davies, who took up his post in September, triggered protests by royalists in the kingdom after he raised concern about Thailand's lese majeste law during a talk at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT).
Thai police on Wednesday (Dec 9) confirmed that an official investigation was taking place..... (read more)..... http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asi ... se-majeste
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Re: Protests update
Revealed: Thailand's most senior human trafficking investigator to seek political asylum in Australia
Major General Paween Pongsirin says his investigations into human trafficking implicated senior figures in police and military and he now fears life
Alcorn, Keryn Reynolds and Margaret Simons
Thursday 10 December 2015
ThailandтАЩs most senior police investigator into human trafficking is seeking political asylum in Australia, saying he fears for his life because influential figures in the Thai government, military and police are implicated in trafficking and want him killed.
Major General Paween Pongsirin arrived in Melbourne a few days ago on a tourist visa and has now told the Australian Broadcasting CorporationтАЩs 7.30 program and Guardian Australia he plans to seek asylum..... (read more).... http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/d ... SApp_Other
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Re: Protests update
EU, Yingluck and the junta
Dec 10, 2015
New Europe comments on the invitation to Yingluck Shinawatra and the juntaтАЩs judiciary banning her from travel.
The European Parliament has expressed concern about the new military junta constitution and the delayed return to electoral democracy. In response, Yingluck was invited тАЬto address the European Parliament on the political situation in the country.тАЭ The invitation was delivered in October, тАЬco-signed by Elmar Brok, chairman of the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Werner Langen, chair of the panel for relations with Southeast Asia and Asean.тАЭ.... (read more)....https://thaipoliticalprisoners.wordpres ... the-junta/
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Re: Protests update
10 December 2015
More Charges Against Facebooker for 'Liking' Photos
BANGKOK тАФ A 27-year-old factory worker detained for posting infographics about Rajabhakti Park corruption scandal received additional lese majeste and sedition charges for liking "inappropriate" Facebook pictures.
Maj. Gen. Wicharn Jodtaeng, the head of the junta's law office, and Col. Burin Thongprapai of the military Judge Advocate GeneralтАЩs Department, filed additional charges Wednesday under Article 112 of the criminal code, which criminalizes lese majeste (defaming the monarchy), as well as Article 116, which pertains to sedition, against the suspect identified as Thanakorn Siripaiboon..... (read more)..... http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.ph ... 1449725252
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Re: Protests update
Thai police consider defamation suit against human trafficking investigator
Fri, Dec 11
By Aukkarapon Niyomyat and Amy Sawitta Lefevre
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai police on Friday said they were considering suing a former officer investigating human trafficking for defamation over comments he made implicating senior officials in the trade.
Police Major General Paween Pongsirin arrived in Melbourne a few days ago and told the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) on Thursday that he feared for his life because influential figures in the Thai government, military and police implicated in the illicit trade want him dead.
"There are some bad police and bad military who do these kind of things," Paween told the broadcaster. "Unfortunately, those bad police and military are the ones that have power."
Royal Thai Police chief Jakthip Chaijinda told reporters that he did not know why Paween fled but said a legal team was checking whether his comments were defamatory..... (read more)... http://uk.mobile.reuters.com/article/id ... 1?irpc=932
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Re: Protests update
Junta to charge hundreds more with l├иse majest├й for pressing тАШlikeтАЩ on Facebook
Submitted by editor2 on Fri, 11/12/2015
After the Thai juntaтАЩs legal office filed l├иse majest├й and sedition charges against a factory worker for pressing тАШlikeтАЩ on Facebook, the police have announced that hundreds more will be charged with l├иse majest├й for similar actions.
According to Matichon Online, police investigators are now gathering information and evidence to press charges against 20 administrators of an anti-establishment red-shirt Facebook group called тАШthe National Red Shirts AssociationтАЩ.
Hundreds of members of the Facebook page will also be charged with Article 112 of the Criminal Code, the l├иse majest├й law, for pressing тАШlikeтАЩ on pictures and content allegedly defaming the Thai monarchy, Matichon reported..... (read more)... http://prachatai.org/english/node/5686
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Re: Protests update
Thailand's Royal Defamation Law Under New Scrutiny
December 10, 2015
Thailand's controversial laws that impose harsh penalties for defaming the country's royal family are under increased scrutiny this week, as are their critics. Rights groups are again calling for the country to reform the Lese Majeste laws, and the U.S. ambassador to Bangkok is under investigation for recent comments criticizing the lengthy jail terms handed down under the law.
A published statement by the international rights group Amnesty International says Thailand should stop applying the royal defamation law to criminalize freedom of expression, with the law leaving dozens of individuals in jail or facing military trials without access to appeal.
Amnesty says the law raises concerns over тАЬabsurd extremes of ThailandтАЩs restrictions on freedom of expression.тАЭ... (read more).... http://m.voanews.com/a/thailand-lese-ma ... 97018.html
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Re: Protests update
Is that ever absurd. Pressing "like" on Facebook can get you thrown in a Thai prison cell for years?
That's beyond common sense.