<p>The Supreme Court has confirmed a lower court ruling to jail a former subdistrict head from the Deep South for alleging that he was tortured by the police.</p> <p>On 22 November 2017, the Supreme Court confirmed the verdict of the lower courts in sentencing Anuphong Phanthachayangkun, former subdistrict head from Su-ngai Padi District, to one year in prison without suspending the jail term, according to<a href="https://mgronline.com/crime/detail/9600000118533">&nbsp;the Manager Online</a>.</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>

<div> <div>This year’s university initiation season has been inaugurated with the message that “touching someone else’s genitals can create love and unity.” Meanwhile, an anti-Islam monk has been disrobed for inciting violence against Muslims.</div> </div> <h2>Too much love at a Thai university</h2> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <div>The beginning of the university year in Thailand is marked by reports of physical, mental and sexual abuse against freshman students during initiation activities. </div></div>

<p dir="ltr">After an angry soldier shot at a Muslim student, a Vice President of Prince of Songkla University (PSU), Pattani campus, has called on the authorities to ensure the safety of the campus area while the leader of the student union has called for legal action against the shooter.</p> <p dir="ltr">On 9 August 2017, Bordin Waelateh, Vice President for Student Development, Pattani Campus, called on security officers in the restive Deep South to maintain campus areas as ‘safety zones’.</p>

<p>The director of an influential Malay community radio station in the restive Deep South has passed away.</p> <p>At around 3 am on 11 July 2017, Waehama Waekuejik, director of Media Selatan, a local radio channel with a large following among grassroots villagers in the Deep South based in Pattani, passed away.</p> <p>Waehama had been battling colon cancer for the last three years.</p> <p>He played an important role in shaping Media Selatan, which is known for reporting on critical issues in the Deep South related to politics and violence in the region since its founding in 2008.</p>

<p>The military has intimidated a human rights defender in the restive Deep South, ordering her not to post comments on Facebook about human rights violations.</p> <p>On 1 July 2017, six men believed to be military officers in plainclothes visited the shop of the family of Anchana Heemmina, president of Duay Jai, a local human rights advocacy group in the Deep South, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://voicefromthais.wordpress.com/2017/07/05/public-statement-isoc-region-4-should-stop-intimidating-a-hrd/">the Cross Cultural Foundation (CrCF)</a>.</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 dir="ltr">Unknown group of men has abducted a school director in the restive Deep South.</p> <p>At night on 14 May 2017, a group of men abducted Daho Ma-taworn, director of Ta-Deeka School of Tung Po Village in Saba Yoi District of Songkhla Province while he was on his way home.</p> <p>At around midnight, Daho called his wife and told her that a group of masked men put a gun against his head before blindfolding him and took him to an unknown location.</p>

<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>Update</strong>: At least 60 people have been injured from the explosions at Big C department store and about 100 vehicles have been damaged. The first bomb exploded inside the department store while the second followed about 20 minutes later. According to the Bangkok Post, another suspicious object was found at the Diana department store in Muang district, though nothing dangerous was detected</em></p> <p>Twin bombs have exploded at the Big C department store in Pattani town, injuring about 40 people.</p>

<div>If the Thai government wants its education reforms to succeed, it must collaborate with local religious institutions, an expert has argued. Yet Thailand’s new constitution deliberately eradicates the role of local religion in the country’s education system.</div> <p></p>

<p dir="ltr">Human rights activists are calling upon people to fight for gender equality and respond to serious violations of LGBT rights in Deep South.</p> <p></p>

<p>Civil society groups have urged an end to the culture of impunity after the latest summary killing in the restive Deep South while an insurgent group condemned the killing.</p> <p>Soldiers and paramilitary officers in Rueso District of Narathiwat on 29 March 2017 summarily killed Isma-ae Hama, 28, and Aseng Useng, 30.</p>