<p>In the first apparent acknowledgement it is cooperating with Thai authorities in censoring content, Facebook has blocked its users in Thailand from accessing a page satirizing Thailand’s Royal Family, citing local laws.</p> <p>Facebook users in Thailand on Thursday discovered that they can no longer view a satirical page which occasionally lampoons the monarchy.&nbsp;</p>

<p dir="ltr">Thai academics have urged the UN to investigate human rights abuses as the Thai junta increases its crackdown on political dissidents ahead of the referendum on the draft constitution.</p> <p>The<a href="https://web.facebook.com/BBCThai/posts/1769882346566131"> BBC Thai</a> reported that 12 academics from leading universities in Thailand on Thursday, 5 May 2016, submitted a letter to the UN, urging the UN human rights office to investigate the increasing violations and abuses of human rights done by the Thai authorities.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The Thai election commission has warned that people selling t-shirts with prints about the referendum on the junta-sponsored draft constitution might face up to 10 years imprisonment.</p> <p>On Wednesday, 4 May 2016, Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, Election Commissioner of Thailand (ETC), told media that certain political groups might be charged under the Draft Referendum Act for selling t-shirts with images or texts about the referendum on the draft constitution.</p>

<p>The Military Court has rejected bail for&nbsp;<a href="http://prachatai.org/english/category/the-eight-abducted-junta-critics">the eight abducted junta critics&nbsp;</a>for a second time while the junta leader maintains that the eight violated the law.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The Thai military in the northern province of Chiang Mai summoned a pro-democracy academic and activists into a military camp.</p>

<p>On the eve of the five-year anniversary of his detention, we, the undersigned international organizations, condemn the ongoing and arbitrary deprivation of liberty of human rights defender Somyot Phrueksakasemsuk and call on Thailand’s authorities to immediately and unconditionally release him.</p>

<p>The Military Court has issued arrest warrants for nine political dissidents, most of whom were abducted by the authorities for criticising the junta.</p> <p><a href="http://www.matichon.co.th/news/120269">Matichon Online</a>&nbsp;reported that the Military Court of Bangkok on Thursday, 28 April 2016, issued arrest warrants for nine persons, eight of whom were abducted by the military yesterday.</p>

<p>Thailand’s military government is brazenly seeking to shut down debate ahead of a referendum on a draft constitution, Amnesty International said today.</p> <p>At least a dozen Facebook commenters have been detained or charged on 27 April under a draconian new Order issued by the head of the military government. The arrests come after they commented on the controversial draft of a new constitution Thailand’s military government is seeking to impose.</p> <p>The Facebook users who were charged under the law now face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 200,000 baht ($5,715).</p>

<p dir="ltr">Academics pointed out that even though the junta-sponsored draft constitution passes the public referendum, it will have no legitimacy as the junta is clamping down hard on the draft critics.</p>

<p>Police officers confiscated campaign flyers against the junta-sponsored draft constitution from an academic and attempted to take her to a police station.</p> <p>At around 4 pm on Monday, 25 April 2016, police officers confiscated flyers titled ‘7 Reasons Not to Accept the Draft Constitution’ from Bencharat Sae-Chua, a political scientist teaching at Mahidol University, at a forum on the double questions on the draft constitution at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.</p>

<p>The deputy head of the junta has urged police officers to increase their surveillance of social media as the public referendum on the controversial junta-sponsored draft constitution is drawing near.</p>

<p>The Military Court has released embattled Pheu Thai Party politician Watana Muangsook.</p> <p>The Military Court of Bangkok at around 5:40 pm on Thursday, 21 April 2016, released on 80,000 baht bail Watana Muangsook, 59, a politician from the Pheu Thai Party who was detained by the military for so-called attitude adjustment, a period of detention with lectures forced upon political dissidents by the junta.</p> <p>He will be released after being transferred to Bangkok Remand Prison on Thursday evening.</p>