<p>(New York, November 25, 2014) – Thailand’s military government is severely repressing fundamental rights and freedoms six months after its May 22, 2014 coup, Human Rights Watch said today. The ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has shown no genuine signs of restoring democratic civilian rule.<br /></p>

<div><span>Prachatai interviewed one of the five student activist, on their goal of holding the activity, experience in the camp and will he 'surrender' this morning. If he does not admit of his 'guilt' for protesting against the coup, he may be fired from university.</span></div> <div> </div>

<div> <div><em>Update: At around 6.30 pm, the military released the five activists but demanded them to come back with their parents and will officially charged them on Thursday. During the interogation, the military pressured the students to sign a document, stating that they will not hold any anti-coup activity nor expressing disaproval on the coup again. </em></div></div>

<div> <div>The military court has refused to grant bail to a 50-year-old woman from northern Lamphun Province, accused of possessing illegal weapons, despite the suspect’s poor health. The defence lawyer, meanwhile, has challenged the military court’s jurisdiction over the case.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Saowani Intalo, a 50-year-old restaurant owner, was arrested along with Phairat Singkham, 38 years old, during a 26 May raid by military and police forces on a longan farm in the northern province of Lamphun. </div></div>

<div>For almost five months, the Thai military has used the draconian century-old martial law to detain anti-coup protesters and academics. Recently, however, it has also used the martial law to arrest and detain suspects without charge in cases related to general crimes and informal debts. Human rights lawyers say the military’s use of the law is arbitrary and unnecessary and contradicts the spirit of the law.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>In the past ten days, the military has used martial law in at least five cases to detain people and search the houses of activists. </div>

<div> <div>The Military Court rejected bail requests of red-shirt defendants accused of planned rebellion against the coup makers despite the lacks of evidence, while their lawyers objected having the case tried in the martial court. The nickname ‘Khon Kaen Model’ was given to the cases of 26 defendants, mostly elderly, accused of being hard-core red shirts who planned to rebel against the junta.</div> <div> </div></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Martial law, in force across the Kingdom, is being promoted in a campaign by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) as a guarantee of safety for tourists.</p> <p>Tawatchai Aranyik, the Director of TAT, unveiled on Sunday the “24 Hours Enjoy Thailand” campaign. In the campaign, TAT promotes Thailand as safe for tourists because martial law is in force, so tourists can be sure that they will be safe all day and night..</p> <p>TAT will start promoting the campaign early next year in order to attract tourists during the high season.</p>

<p>On 7 September, the Pattani Provincial Court rejected an appeal by Rohima Huseng, who alleged that security officers in Pattani tortured her brother, Hasan Huseng, during interrogation at a detention centre in a military camp in southern Pattani Province.</p>

<div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Bangkok Military Court on Thursday sentenced a man to six months in jail and a fine of 10,000 baht for protesting against the coup. </div>

<div> <div> <div> <div>Relatives of those killed during the 2010 political violence were arrested on Sunday morning after they distributed leaflets in downtown Bangkok. </div></div></div></div>

<div>August 26, 2014</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>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. </div>

<div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The military have refused to disclose the whereabouts of a red-shirt supporter who has been detained for 13 days, and say he wants to continue his stay in a military camp.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Friday, lawyers from the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lawyercenter2014">Thai Lawyers for Human Rights</a>, a network of human rights lawyers, met the police and the military to ask for information regarding Yongyuth Boondee, aka “Daeng Shinjang,” because he has been detained for longer than seven days -- the period allowed under martial law. </div></div>