<p>The deputy head of the junta said that online critics of new charter could be charged under the Computer Crime Act while the Interior Minister said it is necessary to ban political parties from campaigning about the new charter. </p>
<p>According to <a href="http://www.matichon.co.th/news/40597">Matichon Online</a>, Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, Minister of Interior and Deputy Prime Minister, on Tuesday, 16 February 2016, told the media that political parties are still banned from holding party meetings about the new draft constitution.</p>
<p>The Military Court has ruled to continue the trial of an elderly independent writer accused of defaming the Thai monarchy despite the fact that he has been diagnosed with psychosis. </p>
<p>The Military Court has for the second time issued arrest warrants for anti-junta activists calling for an investigation into corruption allegations concerning a park constructed by the Royal Thai Army.</p>
By Kongpob Areerat |
<p>Pathumwan District Court of Bangkok has dismissed charges against an anti-junta activist indicted for protesting against the coup in May 2014.</p>
<p>Pathumwan District Court on Thursday morning, 11 February 2016, dismissed charges against Apichat P., an anti-coup activist, who had been charged with violating the junta’s National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) Order No. 7/2014, which prohibits any political gathering of five or more persons.</p>
<p>The head of the junta-appointed Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) has threatened legal action to quell criticism of the new draft constitution. </p>
<p>Thai News Agency on Monday, 8 February 2016, reported that Meechai Ruchuphan, President of the CDC, said that the CDC will meet to discuss possible legal action against people who distort facts to criticise the 2016 charter draft.</p>
<p>Military officers have attempted to censor displays of political parody at the upcoming annual football match between Chulalongkorn (CU) and Thammasat University (TU).</p>
<p>Military officers in plainclothes at 17:40 pm on Wednesday, 4 February 2016, met with students of Thammasat University at Rangsit Campus who are in charge of the pre-match political parody parade at the 2016 CU-TU football match, which will take place on 13 February.</p>
<p>The plainclothes officers did not allow members of the press to participate in the meeting.</p>
<p>The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the formal name of the Thai junta, has ordered academics to cancel a seminar about the draft constitution.</p>
<p dir="ltr">A military officer in northern Thailand has sued a Lahu ethnic minority activist for posting a facebook video clip, saying that the clip defamed him and injured the honor of Thai military. </p>
<p>Thai Military Court released another anti-junta youth activist demanding an investigation into a park constructed by the Royal Thai Army.</p>
<p>At 11:40 am on Friday, 22 January 2016, the Military Court of Bangkok rejected a police request to detain Abhisit Sapnaphapan.</p>
<p>In the first legal battle in the country between a film director and the Thai Censorship Committee, the Administrative Court confirmed a ban on an LGBTI-themed film over a controversial sex scene, saying that it could negatively affect public morale.</p>
<p>The Administrative Court on Friday, 25 December 2015, confirmed an order from the Censorship Committee of the National Film and Video Board (NFVB) to ban Insects in the Backyard, an independent LGBTI-themed film, which portrays the story of a troubled family led by a single transsexual mother who struggles to raise his children.</p>
<p>A rally organised by civil society groups promoting land rights and land reform has been called off after the military invited rally leaders for discussions.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://tlhr2014.wordpress.com/2015/12/23/pmove-march2/">Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR)</a>, on Wednesday morning, 23 December 2015, Direk Kongngern, President of the Northern Development Foundation (NDF) and nine other participants in the rally organised by NDF and People’s Movement for Just Society (P-Move) were summoned for a discussion with the military.</p>
<p>The Military Court has granted bail to a Rajabhakti activist who was taken from his sickbed and held at an unknown location for five days.</p>
<p>According <a href="https://tlhr2014.wordpress.com/2015/12/18/thanate-116-military-court/">Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR)</a>, the Military Court of Bangkok at 4:20 pm on Friday, 18 December 2015, granted 100,000 baht (about 2,763 USD) bail to Thanet Anantawong, a 25-year-old activist who was taken from his sickbed while waiting for a medical operation last week.</p>