Following the death in detention of activist Netiporn "Bung" Sanesangkhom while she was on a hunger strike to call for judicial system reform and the release of political dissidents, five human rights organizations issued a joint statement calling for the Thai authorities to conduct an independent and credible investigation into her death, release political prisoners held in pre-trial detention, and support the proposed amnesty bill for those facing political prosecution.

<p>Focus on the Global South condemn in the strongest terms the arrest of its&nbsp;founding director and co-chair of its&nbsp;Board, Dr Walden Bello, over libel and cyber libel charges filed by Jefry Tupas&mdash;former staff of current Vice President Sara Duterte.</p>

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<p>The dusts from the melee of fleeing Red Shirts and assaulting teams of soldiers have settled, and not even the hint of smoke from the burned buildings could be detected. Bangkok&rsquo;s residents are now trying to pick up on the routines of their daily lives before the red-shirted protesters mounted mass actions in large sections of central Bangkok from March to May. &nbsp;But for the Thai&rsquo;s intellectuals, this seeming lull is a chance to take a more in-depth look at the recent past events and deal with nagging issues that confront Thai society. &nbsp;</p>