<div>On December 3, two days after Thailand’s new king took the throne, Khon Kaen Univeristy Student Pai Daodin, (real name Jatupat Boompattararaksa), became the first lese majesty victim of the King’s new reign by pushing "share" on an ordinary BBC news article: “<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38126928" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Profile: Thailand’s New King Vajiralongkorn</a>” (Pai shared the Thai version of this article). It is a good article and an important article, and I recommend you check it out.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The world was outraged. </div>

<div> <div>The mother of a jailed anti-junta activist has begged his university not to expel her son after a court refused to release him to take his final exams.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 12 January 2016, Prim Boonpattaraksa submitted a petition to Khon Kaen University asking for her son, Jatuphat ‘Pai’ Boonpattararaksa, to retain his student status.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Jatuphat risks expulsion from Khon Kaen University’s Faculty of Law since his incarceration means he is likely to miss his final exams on 17 January. </div></div>

<p><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2017/country-chapters/thailand&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1484371810434000&amp;usg=AFQjCNF9omGwWNeRqIbU8qqFxFlei5tBjw" href="https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2017/country-chapters/thailand" target="_blank">Thailand</a>’s military junta increased its repression and failed to restore democratic rule in 2016, Human Rights Watch said today in its&nbsp;<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2017&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1484371810434000&amp;usg=</p> </a></p>

<p dir="ltr">Anti-junta activists and others have travelled from Bangkok to Khon Kaen to campaign for the release of an anti-junta activist accused of lèse majesté.</p> <p dir="ltr">On 12 January 2016, members of Resistant Citizens, an anti-junta activist group led by Sirawit Serithiwat, gathered at Hua Lamphong Train Station, Bangkok to take a trip to Khon Kaen province in northeastern Thailand.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The military has prohibited university lecturers and students from organising an event in support of an anti-junta activist accused of lèse majesté, reasoning that the Thai people are still mourning for the late King Bhumibol. &nbsp;</p> <p dir="ltr">On 11 January 2017, Asst. Prof. Winai Phoncharoen of Mahasarakham University told Prachatai that military officers had forbidden him from organising an activity to show solidarity with Jatuphat ‘Pai’ Boonpattaraksa, the first person charged with lèse majesté under the reign of King Vajiralongkorn. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p dir="ltr">A spokesperson for Thailand’s Court of Justice has warned activists against gathering in front of a criminal court to support a detained lèse majesté suspect, saying they may be liable for criminal charges.</p>

<div>An optometrist in northern Thailand has been indicted for defaming then Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn last year.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5568/15214891692_d9b2535c96_b.jpg" style="width: 640px; height: 453px;" /></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 29 December 2016, Sarawut (surname withheld due to privacy reasons), aged 32, was indicted in a military court in Chiang Rai Province for violating Article 112 of the Criminal Code, the lèse majesté law, and the Computer Crimes Act, which outlaws the importation of illegal </div>

<div> <div>The first lèse majesté suspect under King Rama X claims that prison staff have repeatedly searched his rectum for drugs.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 5 January 2017, Jatuphat ‘Pai’ Boonpattaraksa, a key member of the New Democracy Movement (NDM) and Dao Din anti-junta activist groups, told Prachatai that every time he returns to prison from court, authorities order him to bend down so that his rectum may be searched.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Despite Jatuphat’s protests that he should not be subjected to this treatment since he is a political suspect, not a drug suspect </div></div>

<div>The lawyer of the first lèse majesté suspect under the King Rama X has challenged a court’s decision to grant custody permission for his client, saying the hearing was done behind the suspect. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 28 December 2016, Athiphong Phuphiw, the lawyer of Jatuphat Boonpattaraksa, has submit a petition the Khon Kaen Provincial Court. The petition demands revocation to custody permission of Jatuphat, which the court granted two days earlier. The petition stated that the court granted the permission without asking the suspect’s opinion. </div>

<p dir="ltr">The court of appeal has denied bail for a well-known anti-junta activist accused of defaming King Rama X. &nbsp;</p> <p dir="ltr">On 27 December 2016, an appeal court in Khon Kaen Province denied bail to Jatuphat Boonpattaraksa, the first person charged with lèse majesté under the reign of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.</p> <p dir="ltr">The court reasoned that Jatuphat does not seem to respect the law or state authorities, adding that he could intervene with evidence if released.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Activists have celebrated Christmas with the birth of ‘Fairly Tell’, a new organisation offering former prisoners and activists space to voice their stories of injustice.</p> <p dir="ltr">On 25 December 2016, Pornthip ‘Kolf’ Mankhong, a former lèse-majesté prisoner, gathered with fellow former prisoners, activists and supporters at Ma Share Doo shop to open the new activist group Fairly Tell.</p>

<div> <div>In a secret hearing, a provincial court has revoked bail in a lèse majesté case, ruling that the suspect insulted the authorities in a Facebook post.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 22 December 2016, Khon Kaen Provincial Court approved a police request to revoke bail for Jatuphat Boonpattaraksa, <a href="http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/6763">the first person charged with lèse majesté under the reign of King Maha Vajiralongkorn</a>. The court conducted the hearing in secret and ruled that the suspect has violated bail conditions. </div></div>