<p>Malaysia - The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) is greatly concerned at Home Minister Dato' Seri Hishammuddin Hussein's references to a new law that will be introduced to govern sedition in cyberspace. The Home Minister reportedly said that it would be based on existing Sedition Act (1948) and would assist in determining what can be prosecuted on the Internet.</p>

<p>Mr. Salil Shetty, Secretary General of AI paid a call on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on the occasion of his visit to Thailand, at Thai Koo Fah Building, the Government House.</p> <p>The Secretary General of Amnesty International asked the Prime Minister on issues interested by the public and media, such as the political situation, situation in the southern border provinces, situation of displaced persons fleeing from fightings in Myanmar, and l&egrave;se majest&eacute; law.</p>

<p>(Hong Kong, November 5, 2010) The Asian Human Rights Commission on Wednesday launched a new campaign webpage on the case of Chiranuch Premchaiporn, the director of the independent online news service Prachatai, who is facing multiple criminal charges over material that readers posted onto her website.</p>

<p>The Southeast Asian Human Rights Studies Network (SEAHRN), on 15 Oct, expressed its strong disappointment on the actions of the Thai and Vietnamese governments in their refusal to allow a Vietnamese scholar, Mr Vo Van Ai, to travel to Thailand to present a paper at the First International Conference on Human rights in Southeast Asia organized by the SEAHRN on October 14 and 15 in Bangkok.</p>

<p>On Oct 12, at Government House, Boworn Yasintorn, representing the People's Volunteer Network for the Protection of the Monarchy, submitted a petition to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, ICT Minister Juti Krairiksh, and Justice Minister Peerapan Saleeratwipak, asking them to take measures against l&egrave;se majest&eacute; content on Facebook. </p>

<p>The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) has sent an open letter to PM&nbsp;Abhisit Vejjajiva, expressing its concerns over the ongoing suppression of freedom of expression in Thailand and calling on him to look into the issue as he has always promised to do.</p>

<p>Chiranuch Premchaiporn, director of prachatai.com, an online newspaper, which is regarded by some as being pro-red and has been blocked since April, was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport last Friday on charges of lese majeste and violating the computer crime law over comments posted by other users. Upon returning from a seminar on cyber liberty in Hungary, she was driven straight to Khon Kaen province to face charges filed against her two years ago. She is now out on Bt200,000 bail and tells The Nation's Pravit Rojanaphruk about her ordeal. Here are some excerpts:</p>

<p>The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that Ms. Chiranuch Premchaiporn, director of Prachatai online newspaper, was detained by the immigration police at Suvarnabhumi Airport, in Samutprakarn province near Bangkok, and transferred to Khon Kaen police station, in northeastern Thailand. She has been charged with violating the Computer Crimes Act BE.2550 (2007) and Articles 112 and 116 of the Criminal Code BE.2499 (1956) (section of the code relating to les&egrave; majest&eacute;).</p>

<p>Paris-Bangkok, 27 September 2010 - On Friday, September 24, 2010, at approximately 2.30PM, the Thai immigration police arrested Ms. Chiranuch Premchaiporn, executive director of Prachatai, an independent news website, at the Bangkok Airport on charges of defaming the monarchy of Thailand and of violating articles 14 and 15 of the 2007 Computer-related Crimes Act and article 112 of the criminal code. Ms. Premchaiporn was returning from Hungary, where she had attended a conference entitled The Internet at Liberty 2010.</p>

<p>At about 1 am on 25 Sept, Chiranuch Premchaiporn was granted bail after placing 200,000 baht in cash as a guarantee.&nbsp; She denied all charges during police interrogation.</p> <p>She has to report to the police at Khon Kaen Police Station on 24 Oct.</p> <p>Over a dozen readers of Prachatai in Khon Kaen gathered at the police station to give her moral support.</p>

<p>Chiranuch Premchaiporn, an online news editor in Thailand, was arrested on 24 September under the country&rsquo;s 2007 Computer-related Crimes Act. She is being held in Khon Kaen police station in north-eastern Thailand. Chiranuch Premchaiporn is a prisoner of conscience, detained solely for the peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression, and should be immediately and unconditionally released.</p>

<p>Chiranuch Premchaipoen, the editor of the news website Prachatai, was arrested today at Bangkok&rsquo;s Suvarnabhumi airport on her return from a conference on Internet freedom in Budapest. Police showed her a warrant issued by a court in the northwestern province of Khon Kaen accusing her of defaming the royal family and of violating articles 14 and 15 of the Computer Crimes Act and article 112 of the criminal code.</p>