<p>The Asian Human Rights Commission is pleased to learn that the criminal charges brought against Chotisak Onsoong and his friend for allegedly defaming the monarchy have been dropped by the prosecutor. The charges stemmed from the couple's decision not to stand during the royal anthem and video montage lauding the life of the king played prior to the screening of a movie in a central Bangkok theatre on the evening of 20 September 2007. When they did not stand up, Navamintr Witthayakul, a man standing in front of them, turned around and yelled at them.</p>

<p>On 25 June 2012, at 9 am, the second of two pre-trial hearings in the case of Mr. Suderueman Maleh will take place at the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok (check at the court for the room number). Mr. Suderueman was one of five alleged perpetrators in a gun robbery case in 2004 whose complaint of being tortured while in custody was brought by Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit shortly before he was disappeared.</p>

<p>On 6 June 2012, at 9 am in the Provincial Court in Lamphun Province, the Supreme Court verdict in a case involving three land rights activist in northern Thailand will be announced. The three defendants -- Mr. Prawais Panpa, Mr. Rangsan Saensongkhaew, and Mr. Suebsakun Kijnukorn &ndash; face potential lengthy prison terms of four years stemming from their actions during land occupations during 2002-2004. At issue in this decision are the individual fates of these three men, as well as land rights and the right to livelihood in northern Thailand in a broader sense.</p>

<p>On 30 May 2012, the Criminal Court read its verdict in the case in Black Case No. 1667/2553, in which Chiranuch Premchaiporn was charged with ten alleged violations of the 2007 Computer Crimes Act (CCA). Chiranuch is the 44-year-old webmaster of Prachatai, an independent online news site, which has served as an important platform for critical news, discussion, and debate for over seven years in Thailand. The charges against her in this case stemmed from her alleged failure to remove comments deemed offensive to the monarchy from the Prachatai webboard quickly enough.</p>

<p>On 30 May 2012, at 10 am in the Criminal Court in Bangkok, the verdict in the case of Chiranuch Premchaiporn, charged with ten counts of allegedly violating the 2007 Computer Crimes Act in Black Case No. 1667/2553, will be read. The reading, which had been scheduled for one month ago, was unexpectedly postponed. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) urges all concerned persons to attend the court as observers, and calls on other interested persons to follow the case closely.</p>

<p>The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to express our grief and extend our deepest condolences to the family of Mr. Amphon Tangnoppakul, who was found dead in prison custody on 8 May 2012. Amphon (also known to his family as &quot;Ah Kong&quot; or &quot;grandfather,&quot; and to the public at &quot;Uncle SMS&quot;), a 61-year-old man, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on 23 November 2011 in Black Case No. 311/2554.</p>

<p>On 30 April 2012, the Criminal Court in Bangkok was scheduled to read its verdict in Black Case No. 1667/2553 on ten alleged violations of the 2007 Computer Crimes Act. The defendant is Chiranuch Premchaiporn, the 44-year-old webmaster of Prachatai, an independent online news site. Suddenly, instead of reading the decision, 20 minutes before the proceedings were to begin court staff notified Chiranuch and her lawyers that the decision would be delayed for an additional month.</p>

<p>The successful United Nations Resolution on reconciliation and accountability should pave the way for a new period of commitment to cure the wounds of a long conflict, caused upon individuals as well as on the institutional structure of democracy and the rule of law in Sri Lanka.</p>

<p>On the afternoon of 29 February 2012, Professor Worachet Pakeerut, a law professor at Thammasat University, leader of the Khana Nitirat, and human rights defender (HRD), was assaulted by two men outside the Faculty of Law at Thammasat University.&nbsp; The two men punched Professor Worachet several times in the face until he bled and his eyeglasses were broken. He was subsequently treated at Thonburi Hospital and released. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) would like to urgently express concern over the physical assault of Professor.</p>

<p>The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is calling for court observers at the resumption of the trial of Chiranuch Premchaiporn, director of the Prachai website, who is being prosecuted under the Computer Crime Act after her arrest in March 2009. The trial of her case, after it was delayed for a variety of reasons, will again resume on February 14 to 16, 2012 at the Criminal Court in Bangkok.</p>

<p>(Hong Kong, December 9, 2011) A &quot;deep-seated, ingrained culture of impunity that spans the state security forces, judiciary and civil service&quot; is continuing to block the emergence of a human rights-respecting culture in Thailand, the Asian Human Rights Commission said today in its annual State of Human Rights in Asia report. </p>

<p><em>An interview by Farzana Ali Khan published by the Asian Human Rights Commission</em></p> <p>Despite the huge offer made on part of the accused officials for settlement of the case out of court, Uzma Ayub, a teenage pregnant victim rejected the deal and said adamantly that she would fight against them through court.</p>