The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) welcomes the Thai Court of Appeal’s ruling that the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC)—a government agency responsible for Thailand’s internal security—is liable for “damaging the reputations” of Senator and human rights activist Angkhana Neelapaijit and  women human rights defender Anchana Heemmina.

The Narathiwat Provincial Court has acquitted a human rights defender in a case filed by the Royal Thai Navy in Narathiwat province over her Facebook post demanding a military camp pay its outstanding water bill to a mosque. The case stemmed from a mistaken location mentioned in her post, which she later promptly corrected.

<p>In a panel discussion, the wife of a disappeared exile slammed the official process as ineffective, an MP pledged to restrengthen the watered-down anti-torture bill, and the granddaughter of a leading political family implicated in an enforced disappearance generations ago apologised for what her ancestors did.</p>

<p>On 12 October 2021, Surachai Trongngam,&nbsp;Theeraphan Phankhiri, and Sanya Chongdeeiad, members of a legal team representing Angkhana Neelapaijit and Anchana Heemmina, two women human rights defenders (WHRDs), attended a civil court hearing to settle issues and schedule witness testimony in a case filed against the Office of the Prime Minister and the Royal Thai Army for damages pursuant to the 1996 Act on the Liability for Wrongful Acts of Officials.</p>

<p>The prosecutor in the Deep South province of Pattani has dropped the charges against 3 prominent human rights defenders who documented allegations of human rights abuses in the restive Deep South.</p>

<p>Despite an earlier agreement, the military has not withdrawn its complaints against three human rights defenders who exposed torture in Thailand’s Deep South. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Thai military has dropped criminal defamation charges against three human rights defenders who exposed torture in Thailand’s Deep South.</p> <p>On 7 March 2017, Col Pramote Promin, Deputy Spokesperson for Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) Region 4, said the military has withdrawn criminal defamation charges against Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, Director of the Cross Cultural Foundation (CrCF); Somchai Homla-or, Advisor to the CrCF; and Anchana Heemmina, President of the Duay Jai group.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Embattled Thai human rights activists insist their innocence as they continue to fight against lawsuits filed by the military.</p>

<p dir="ltr">While Thailand is making strides in anti-torture legislation, experts argue the government&rsquo;s continued prosecution of human rights defenders makes this formal progress hollow.</p><p>At a public panel convened at the Foreign Correspondents&rsquo; Club of Thailand on Wednesday, 24 August 2016, representatives from local and international organisations called upon the Thai government to drop charges levelled against three human rights defenders investigating torture in Deep Southern Thailand.</p>

<div>The Thai authorities must immediately drop the criminal investigation against three of the country’s most prominent human rights activists, including the chair of Amnesty International Thailand, who could be charged tomorrow for documenting and publishing a report about torture by Thai security forces, the organization warned.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Somchai Homla-or, Anchana Heemmina, and Porpen Khongkaconkiet, who was appointed Chair of the Amnesty International Thailand board last month, face the prospect of five years behind bars and a fine of US $4,800 if found guilty on charges o </div>

<div>Amnesty International has today issued a worldwide <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/search/?q=ASA+39%2F4292%2F2016+">Urgent Action</a> appeal for Somchai Homla-or, Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, and Anchana Heemmina, who have been charged by the Thai military with criminal defamation and violations of the Computer Crimes Act.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 21 June 2016, Amnesty International headquarters in London issued an appeal to its members worldwide to write to the Thai authorities calling for them to immediately and unconditionally drop charges against Somchai Homla-or, Pornpen Khongka </div>