<div> <div>A court in Khon Kaen has convicted six teenagers of lèse majesté for burning royal arches with portraits of King Rama IX and King Rama X.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 31 January 2018, the Provincial Court of Phon District, Khon Kaen Province, found six teenagers guilty of royal defamation, criminal association and arson. </div></div>

<div> <div>The Military Court in Khon Kaen has begun trying two members of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) merely for observing a public seminar that discussed the junta’s constitution. </div></div>

<div> <div>A student activist has been arrested in Khon Kaen for a peaceful, symbolic protest against the junta.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 21 December 2017, a military prosecutor in Khon Kaen detained Phanuphong Sithananuwat, 22, a student activist from the pro-democracy Dao Din group. Authorities arrested Phanuphong while he was attending a trial for another lawsuit, in which he stands accused of criticising the junta’s charter in July 2016.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>According to a local source, the court has granted him bail. </div></div>

<div> <div>The police have summoned Anon Numpa, a human rights lawyer and pro-democracy activist, because of a Facebook post criticising a verdict.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> </div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><img alt="" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7326/27256290186_ea102bdeb5.jpg" /></div> <div><strong><span>Anon Nampa (file photo)</span></strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <div>According to <a href="http://www.tlhr2014.com/th/?p=5823">Thai Lawyers for Human Rights</a>, </div></div>

<p>Five teenagers and one adult facing royal defamation charges for burning royal arches in northeastern Thailand have pleaded guilty.</p> <p>On 20 November 2017, the Provincial Court of Phon District in Khon Kaen Province held a preliminary hearing for six suspects indicted for violating Article 112 of the Criminal Code, the lèse majesté law, criminal association, and destruction of public property, according to<a href="http://www.tlhr2014.com/th/?p=5713"> Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR)</a>.</p>

<p>A provincial court has handed a six-month suspended jail term to a prominent anti-junta activist while putting six other activists on probation for one year.</p> <p>On 2 November 2017, the Khon Kaen Provincial Court read the verdict for seven pro-democracy youth activists indicted for contempt of court for organising activities on 10 February 2017 in symbolic support of Jatupat ‘Pai Dao Din’ Boonpattararaksa, They aimed to draw attention to issues in Thailand’s justice system.</p>

<div> <div>A military court has accepted a case against eight individuals who participated in seminar last year on the junta-backed constitution. Three are human rights defenders who came merely to observe the event.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 17 October 2017, Khon Kaen Military Court <a href="https://prachatai.com/journal/2017/10/73732">accepted a case</a> against five student activists and three human rights defenders. </div></div>

<p>The security forces have sent a security officer to video-record the trial of activists charged with contempt of court despite the court’s prohibition.</p>

<div> <div>The Interior Minister’s permission for a Red Bull company to build a reservoir on the site of a community forest has run into protests.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <div>On 8 September 2017, the Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Watchdog.ACT/posts/1632784810086915">Watchdog Act</a> published Interior Ministry documents on a request from KTD Property Development Limited to use over 12 acres of Huai Mek community forest in Khon Kaen Province. </div></div></div>

<p>The public prosecutor has charged eight people with royal defamation for burning royal arches. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>On 16 August 2017, at the Provincial Court of Phon District, Khon Kaen Province, the prosecutor indicted eight individuals (identities withheld due to privacy concerns) on charges of violating Article 112 of the Criminal Code, the lèse majesté law, criminal association, and destruction of public property, <a href="http://www.tlhr2014.com/th/?p=4913">Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported</a>.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Almost one year after the constitution referendum in 2016, the police have concluded to press charges against 11 people accused of breaking the junta’s political gathering ban for participating in a discussion about the 2017 Constitution.</p>

<div> <div> <div> <div>Some 30 security officers have raided the headquarters of the activist group Dao Din and confiscated documents about the controversial healthcare reform. When an activist asked to see a search warrant, a policeman gestured towards a military officer saying, “Here is the warrant.”</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Akhom Sibutta, a Dao Din student activist, was alone at the headquarters when it was raided in the early morning of 21 June 2017. </div></div></div></div>