<p>A year and a half after the protest at the Democracy Monument on 18 July 2020, the youth-led protests have expanded into a popular movement including issues from labour rights and gender equality to religious reform and monarchy reform.</p>

<p>A trip back through 2021 through 15 articles chosen by the Prachatai English editorial team.</p>

<p>An investigation by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) found that police officers have used excessive force during operations against pro-democracy protesters and that there have been many instances of human rights violations.</p>

<p>Activists and protesters gathered in front of the Bangkok Remand Prison on Sunday evening (26 December) to celebrate student activist Panupong Jadnok&rsquo;s birthday, after he was denied bail along with 3 other activists last Friday (24 December).</p>

<p>Amnesty International raised concerns that the new NGO bill could be used to control civil society groups and called on the Thai government to withdraw the bill.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A protester has been sentenced to 2 months in prison on a contempt of court charge for cutting his arm in court to protest the denial of bail for detained activists.</p>

<p>A new report published by Scholars at Risk (SAR) found that students in Thailand who criticize the monarchy and demand democratic reforms face legal prosecution and state violence, while academic research regarding the monarchy is met with lawsuits and investigations, eroding academic freedom in the country.</p>

<p>Student activist Nutchanon Pairoj has been sentenced to 2 months in prison on a contempt of court change relating to a <a href="https://prachatai.com/english/node/9218">protest in front of the Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court on 30 April 2021</a> to demand the release of detained student activist Parit Chiwarak.</p>

<p>Lawmakers across Southeast Asia have come under drastically increased threats and harassment in the past year, in-part due to the military coup in Myanmar, but also troubling developments elsewhere in the region, a&nbsp;new report&nbsp;by ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) has found.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Student activist Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul has been granted bail to allow her to complete class projects and take her final examinations, after spending 17 days in detention.</p>