<p>A year and a half after a military coup in Thailand, Reporters Without Borders is today releasing a report about the Thai military’s skilfully orchestrated crackdown on freedom of information.</p> <p>Lead by the capricious Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, the Thai junta has been persecuting the media for the past 18 months, imposing a reign of terror that has included interrogations, arbitrary arrests, a spate of prosecutions and barely veiled threats.</p>

<p>The Supreme Court reduced the jail term of a lèse majesté convict, setting him free eight months earlier than his initial jail term.</p> <p>On Sunday, 15 November 2015, Ekachai H., a lèse majesté convict, was set free after serving two years and eight months in prison.</p>

<p>An international writers’ association has demanded the unconditional release of youth activists imprisoned under the lèse majesté law for staging a play called the ‘Wolf Bride’.</p> <p>Pen International, an international association promoting freedom of expression, will mark the 34th anniversary of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pen-international.org/newsitems/pen-marks-the-34th-anniversary-of-the-annual-day-of-the-imprisoned-writer/">the Day of the Imprisoned Writer</a>&nbsp;this coming Sunday, 15 November 2015, by campaigning on behalf of writers worldwide who have suffered persecution.</p>

<p>After two lèse majesté suspects died in custody within 14 days, the Thai Minister of Justice had told the media that suicides and fatal illnesses in detention facilities are not strange.</p> <p>On Tuesday, 10 November 2015, Gen Paiboon Kumchaya, Minister of Justice, said that he personally informed Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, the junta’s leader and Prime Minister, about the death of Suriyan Sucharitpolwong, aka Mo Yong, a well-known fortune-teller who was charged under Article 112 of the Criminal Code, the lèse majesté law, for making false claims about the monarchy for personal benefit.</p>

<p>A well-known fortune teller accused under the lèse majesté law of making false claims about the monarchy for personal benefit has died in custody.</p> <p>Gen Paiboon Kumchaya, the Minister of Justice, on Monday, 9 November 2015, announced that Suriyan Sucharitpolwong, aka Mo Yong, a well-known fortune-teller, died in custody at the remand facility in the 11th Army Division&nbsp;<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">o</span>n Nakhon Chaisri road, Bangkok.</p>

<div>Although Jakrapob Penkair may have disappeared from the Thai political scene many years ago, his name still resounds. This confirms his status as a 'political man' whose latest achievement is to co-found 'Seri Thai'--an organisation whose mandate is to fight the junta’s National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) from outside the country. It is the task which has prompted another round of surveillance on him by the authorities.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Jakrapob has led a life of a great variety. </div>

<div>Since 2006, Thailand has been plagued with an unending storm of political conflict. Political thought is divided on nearly every single issue; from former Prime Minister Thaksin’s reign, the monarchical institution, nation development, democracy, elections, reform, politicians, political parties and so forth. The 22 May 2014 coup has exacerbated Thailand’s political situation. Activists, politicians, and even ordinary citizens branded as “ideologically hardcore” were left with no choice but to flee the country in self-imposed exile.&nbsp;</div> <p></p>

<div>The editor of a pro-democracy news website was summoned by the junta over a recent infographic it deemed overly broad in describing the kingdom’s strict law against defaming the monarchy.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Thaweeporn Kummetha, editor of Prachatai English, said 10 officers from the military, police and other law enforcement agencies asked Prachatai to be more careful in how it presented information, particularly in regards to the law, which is known as lese majeste. </div>

<div>Note: “Rungsila” is the pen name of Siraphop, a construction contractor who is around fifty years old. Prior to the 22 May 2014 coup, he was well-known online as a writer of political poems and articles. Shortly after the coup, his name was among those summoned to report to the Army Club but he declined to report himself. On 25 June 2014, he was arrested by soldiers in Kalasin province and then detained for 7 days under the provisions of martial law then in force. </div>

<p>Authoritarianism as a form of government has been analyzed in some depth by the political scientist Juan Linz, and the relevant <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarianism">Wikipedia page</a> provides four qualities of such governments according to Linz:</p> <p>(1) "limited, not responsible, political pluralism"; that is, constraints on political institutions and groups (such as legislatures, political parties and interest groups),</p>

<p>A police officer accused of lèse majesté for making false claims about the monarchy for personal benefit together with a famous fortune-teller has committed suicide in prison.</p> <p>The Department of Corrections on Saturday, 24 October 2015, announced that Pol Maj Prakrom W., an inspector in the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD), hanged himself and died while detained at the remand facility in the 11th Army Division&nbsp;on Nakhon Chaisri road, Bangkok.</p>

<p>A military court has detained three lèse majesté suspects accused of making false claims about the monarchy for personal benefit, one of whom is a well-known fortune-teller involved in organising the ‘Bike for Dad’ event.</p> <p>At around 3 pm Wednesday, 21 October 2015, the police officers brought Suriyan Sutjritpolwongse, aka Mo Yong, a well-known fortune-teller, Jirawong W., his close associate, and Pol Maj Prakrom W., an inspector in the Technology Crime Suppression Division, to the Military Court of Bangkok to request permission to remand the three in custody.</p>