<p>In the presence of dozens of soldiers and police officers, people gathered yesterday evening in central Bangkok to show solidarity with an embattled anti-junta activist held in custody for lèse majesté.</p> <p>At 5 pm on 18 January 2017, about 50 people — many of them members of the anti-junta activist groups New Democracy Movement (NDM) and Resistant Citizen — gathered on the skywalk above Ratchaprasong Intersection in Bangkok.</p>

<p>The Thai police have intimidated the family <del cite="mailto:Alec%20Bamford" datetime="2017-01-21T18:49">of the wife </del>of a former Bangkok-based British journalist wanted for lèse majesté.</p>

<p><section> <p>The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in&nbsp;Thailand.</p> <p><strong>Description of the situation:</strong></p> </section></p>

<p>Despite hopes an embattled student activist would be able to sit his exams behind bars, a Dean of Khon Kaen University has confirmed the university will not make an exception for Jatuphat ‘Pai Dao Din’ Boonpattararaksa.</p> <p>On 17 January 2017, Asst. Prof. Kittibodee Yaipool, Dean of Khon Kaen University’s Law Faculty,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tlhr2014.com/th/?p=3283">announced</a>&nbsp;that currently the university has no plans to facilitate examinations in Khon Kaen Prison for Jatuphat a.</p>

<p>Scholars at Risk (SAR) is concerned over the arrest and continued imprisonment of Jatupat "Pai" Boonpattararaksa, a Khon Kaen University law student and activist, based on nonviolent expressive activity.</p>

<div>On December 3, two days after Thailand’s new king took the throne, Khon Kaen Univeristy Student Pai Daodin, (real name Jatupat Boompattararaksa), became the first lese majesty victim of the King’s new reign by pushing "share" on an ordinary BBC news article: “<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38126928" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Profile: Thailand’s New King Vajiralongkorn</a>” (Pai shared the Thai version of this article). It is a good article and an important article, and I recommend you check it out.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The world was outraged. </div>

<p dir="ltr">The military has prohibited university lecturers and students from organising an event in support of an anti-junta activist accused of lèse majesté, reasoning that the Thai people are still mourning for the late King Bhumibol. &nbsp;</p> <p dir="ltr">On 11 January 2017, Asst. Prof. Winai Phoncharoen of Mahasarakham University told Prachatai that military officers had forbidden him from organising an activity to show solidarity with Jatuphat ‘Pai’ Boonpattaraksa, the first person charged with lèse majesté under the reign of King Vajiralongkorn. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Withdrawing an earlier ruling, a district court has sentenced a prominent anti-junta activist to two months in prison with the jail term suspended for one year.</p> <p>On 19 December 2016, Pathumwan District Court of Bangkok read the verdict of the Court of First Instance for Apichat Pongsawat, a 27-year-old prominent anti-junta activist.</p> <p>The court sentenced Apichat to two months in prison and a 6,000 baht fine for violating the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) Head’s Order No. 3/2015 and Article 215 of the Criminal Code.</p>

<div> <div> <div property="content:encoded"> <p>PEN America reacted with dismay today to the news that Thailand’s legislature has approved recently proposed amendments to the 2007 Computer Crime Act, saying that the newly-amended Act would continue to enable and worsen serious abuse of freedom of expression online.</p> </div></div></div>

<p dir="ltr">A military prosecutor has indicted 19 members of the anti-establishment red-shirt movement for breaking the junta’s political gathering ban.</p> <p>On 16 December 2016, a military prosecutor indicted 19 leading members of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), the main red shirt faction, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/iLawClub/photos/a.10150540436460551.646424.299528675550/10157877845475551/?type=3&amp;theater">iLaw reported</a>.</p>

<p dir="ltr">A provincial court has detained three anti-junta activists accused of discrediting the junta’s referendum on its controversial draft constitution.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Update: On 14 December 2016, Phra Khanong Provincial Court granted bail to the three suspects after Boonlert Wisetpricha, a lecturer from Thammasat University’s Faculty of &nbsp;Sociology and Anthropology, offered 200,00 baht as surety for each suspect. The suspects will be summoned again on 27 December to attend a reconciliation session and a deposition hearing. &nbsp;</em></p>

<p dir="ltr">Soldiers and police officers have stormed into a press conference on the crisis of Thai Buddhism to force its organisers to cancel the event.</p>