<p>Police in southern Thailand accepted a lèse majesté complaint filed against two Facebook users for allegedly posting messages defaming the monarchy on a red-shirt radio host’s Facebook profile.</p> <p>Lt Col Jongserm Preecha, an inquiry officer at Kathu Police Station in the southern province of Phuket on Saturday accepted a lèse majesté complaint filed against two individuals known by their Facebook names as Chaida Bunyothin and Parichat Klinsrisuk. The complaint was filed by Siharat Thinkhaonoi.</p>

<p>UN Human Rights High Commissioner has urged the Thai junta to respect freedom of expression to ensure open discussion during the drafting of constitution.&nbsp;</p> <p>Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, on Thursday pointed out his concerns on the imposition of the martial law, which has given to the military the power to crack down on political dissent and opposition.</p>

<p>Despite the junta’s crackdowns on political dissent and the imposition of the martial law, the Thai Foreign Minister said at a UN human rights meeting that Thailand has given much importance to human rights in its attempt to maintain national security.</p> <p>Gen Thanasak Patimaprakorn, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, who represented Thailand at the 28th United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on 4 March 2015, said before the meeting that Thailand paid attention to human rights, which apply to everyone equally. &nbsp;</p>

<div> <div>A group of five students from Khon Kaen University in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen on Saturday held a symbolic activity at the university to mourn the court’s decision to convict a student theatre activist whose education and future were jeopardized after he was found guilty last week for starring in a play judged to constitute lèse majesté.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The activity was held during the 12th Art Lane, held to exhibit the dissertations of members of the final year undergraduates of Khon Kaen’s Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, where Patiwat S., aka Bank, </div></div>

<p><em>This week, Patiwat S. was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for lèse majesté because of his role in the play, “The Wolf Bride.” Patiwat is the most recent student to have been imprisoned under the law, and has been an advocate for Isaan peoples’ rights and democracy for years.</em></p> <p>On Monday, the criminal court sentenced Khon Kaen University student Patiwat S. and activist Pornthip M. to five years in jail for their involvement in a satirical play that was deemed “damaging to the monarchy.” The court reduced the sentence by half for their admission of guilt.</p>

<p>The parents of Srirasmi Suwadee, former royal consort to the Crown Prince, have confessed to lèse majesté allegations related to a case of adultery.</p> <p>Abhiruj Suwadee, 72, and Wantanee Suwadee, 66, on Friday morning confessed to the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) Police to offences under Article 112 or the lèse majesté law and for filing a false police complaint and framing others, which led to a person serving a term in jail.</p>

<p>Thammasat University students and lecturers held a symbolic event in support of the fierce lèse majesté critic in exile, Somsak Jeamteerasakul, who was sacked by the university early this week due to his absence. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>At around 5:30 pm on Thursday, about ten people gathered at the statue of Puey Ungpakorn, a former rector of Thammasat University, at the Rangsit Campus and lit candles to show support for Somsak, a former history lecturer at the Faculty of Liberal Arts.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.khaosodenglish.com/">Khaosod English</a>:&nbsp;Thailand's ruling military junta has accused a prominent critic of the monarchy of falsely framing his lese majeste charges as an act of harassment.&nbsp;</p>

<div>On 23 February 2015 student activists Patiwat S., 23, and Pornthip M. (f), 26, were each sentenced to two and a half years in prison for violating Thailand’s “lèse-majesté” law. The charge of “lèse-majesté” criminalises alleged insult of the monarchy under Article 112 of the Criminal Code, and is commonly used to silence peaceful dissent. According to reports, there has been a considerable rise in arrests, trials and sentences relating to lèse majesté cases since the military coup of 22 May 2014. The case against Patiwat S. </div>

<p>On 23 February 2015 student activists&nbsp;Patiwat Saraiyaem, 23, and Pornthip Munkong (f), 26, were each sentenced to two and a half years in prison for&nbsp;violating Thailand’s “lèse-majesté” law. The charge of&nbsp;“lèse-majesté” criminalises alleged insult of the monarchy&nbsp;under&nbsp;Article 112 of the Criminal Code, and is commonly used to silence peaceful dissent.</p>

<p>On the morning of Monday, February 23, the live broadcast of the 87th Academy Awards from Los Angeles will be broadcast in Thailand. Almost simultaneously, at 1:00 pm, an entirely different type of show will be staged at the Criminal Court in Bangkok.</p>

<p>Thammasat University has sacked the renowned embattled lèse majesté critic Somsak Jeamteerasakul, who has been in self-imposed exile since the 2014 May coup, due to his absence. &nbsp;</p> <p>Somkit Lertpaithoon, the Rector of Thammasat University and a member of the junta’s National Legislative Assembly, on Monday signed an order to end the civil service employment of <a href="http://prachatai.org/english/category/somsak-jeamteerasakul">Somsak Jeamteerasakul</a>, a history lecturer in the Faculty of Liberal Arts, as a punishment for his absence from the university for about nine months.</p>