<div> <div>The junta’s lawmakers have unanimously decided to increase penalties under the Computer Crime Act and establish a committee to handle cases under the Act, bypassing the courts.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Friday, 29 April 2016, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BBCThai/photos/a.1527194487501586.1073741828.1526071940947174/1767285130159186/?type=3&amp;theater">BBC Thai</a> reported that the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), the junta-appointed legislature, gave the green light to amend the Computer Crime Act.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>In an urgent meeting, the NLA voted 16 </div></div>

<p>The Military Court has issued arrest warrants for nine political dissidents, most of whom were abducted by the authorities for criticising the junta.</p> <p><a href="http://www.matichon.co.th/news/120269">Matichon Online</a>&nbsp;reported that the Military Court of Bangkok on Thursday, 28 April 2016, issued arrest warrants for nine persons, eight of whom were abducted by the military yesterday.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The Thai military has released one of <a href="http://prachatai.org/english/node/6087">the 10 persons abducted by the regime</a> in the latest junta’s crackdown on political dissidents.</p> <p>Nithi Kooltasnasilp at 10:16 pm on Wednesday, 27 April 2016, posted a status on his Facebook account that he has reached home after being interrogated by police officers and soldiers.</p>

<p>Thailand’s military government is brazenly seeking to shut down debate ahead of a referendum on a draft constitution, Amnesty International said today.</p> <p>At least a dozen Facebook commenters have been detained or charged on 27 April under a draconian new Order issued by the head of the military government. The arrests come after they commented on the controversial draft of a new constitution Thailand’s military government is seeking to impose.</p> <p>The Facebook users who were charged under the law now face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 200,000 baht ($5,715).</p>

<div> <div>An environmentalist has been given a one-year suspended jail term because of a Facebook post criticising a coal ash project.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> </div> <div>On Thursday, 17 March 2016, Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Court sentenced Kumpol Jittanang, a marine environmentalist and coordinator of the Disaster Management Centre, Nakhon Si Thammarat, to one year in jail after finding him guilty of defaming an academic. The court also fined him 40,000 baht, iLaw <a href="http://freedom.ilaw.or.th/case/705#progress_of_case">reported</a>. </div>

<p>The deputy head of the junta said that online critics of new charter could be charged under the Computer Crime Act while the Interior Minister said it is necessary to ban political parties from campaigning about the new charter.&nbsp;</p> <p>According to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.matichon.co.th/news/40597">Matichon Online</a>, Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, Minister of Interior and Deputy Prime Minister, on Tuesday, 16 February 2016, told the media that political parties are still banned from holding party meetings about the new draft constitution.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Internet search giant Google reportedly expressed concern that Thailand’s Computer Crime Act could interfere with its ability to operate in the kingdom.</p>

<p>The Thai police have arrested a man accused of creating a copycat Facebook profile under his friend’s name and posting lèse majesté messages on it to take revenge on his friend. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<div> <p>The Supreme Court for the first time ruled on a case against an internet intermediary, finding the Prachatai Director guilty for failing to delete lèse majesté comments on the now-defunct Prachatai web forum.&nbsp;</p> </div>

<p>The Deputy Police Chief has confirmed that clicking ‘like’ on lèse majesté and seditious Facebook content is a criminal offence while a computer crime expert refuted the police claim. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The head of a remand facility has accused Prachatai news website of criminal defamation and violations the 2007 Computer Crime Act for reporting mistaken facts about a lèse majesté and sedition suspect arrested for posting infographics about Rajabhakti Park.</p> <p>On Friday, 11 December 2015, Boonyarak Boonyatikarn, Head of the Remand Facility at the 11th Military Circle Base on, Bangkok, filed a complaint with the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) against the Prachatai website.</p>

<p>A 27 year-old man has been arrested and detained at a military base after he allegedly posted comments and infographics about the Rajabhakti Park corruption scandal online.</p>