<div> <div>A military court has denied bail to two critics of the junta who have been charged with lèse-majesté, citing the severity of the charge.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Thursday, 19 May 2016, the Bangkok Military Court denied bail to Harit Mahaton and Natthika Worathaiwich, charged under the lèse-majesté law, ruling that the two might obstruct the investigation process and were flight risks.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Their lawyer submitted a bail request with 700,000 baht surety for each individual.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Harit and Natthika were two of the eight junta critics abdu </div></div>

<div> <div>Amid international concerns on the abuse of Thailand’s lèse majesté law, the Thai Justice Minister said other countries did not understand that the law is necessary for Thailand since they did not have civilization, sensitivity, and gentleness.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Gen Paiboon Koomchaya, the Minister of Justice, said in having the King, Thailand was unique and civilized. </div></div>

<div> <div>The Thai police chief has warned anti-junta activists to take the case of the arrested activist’s mother as an example of what happens to those who oppose the junta.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Saturday, 7 May 2016, Chakthip Chaijinda, Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, warned anti-junta activists that their family members can be prosecuted, just like Patnaree Charnkij, an activist’s mother who has been charged under the lèse majesté law.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Chakthip said that the junta repeatedly and clearly explained the country’s roadmap to the public. </div></div>

<div> <div>An abducted critic of the junta charged with lѐse majesté has warned that private Facebook chat is no longer safe under the military regime.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Monday, 2 May 2016, the Facebook page of a citizen journalist titled ‘<a href="https://www.facebook.com/300084093490011/photos/pb.300084093490011.-2207520000.1462250987./586259121539172/?type=3&amp;theater">Fahroong Srikhao</a>’ published an interview from jail with Harit Mahaton, one of the eight junta critics abducted by the military on 27 April. </div></div>

<p><img alt="" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8658/15360243214_e75835482b.jpg" /></p>

<div> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-280adf7f-6043-d4b8-c0b3-e1460efb4073">An Army unit in northern Thailand filed a police complaint, accusing a businessman of defaming the King on Facebook.&nbsp;</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-280adf7f-6043-d4b8-c0b3-e1460efb4073">The Chiang Rai Army’s Peace and Order Maintenance Command sent a representative to file the complaint at Chiang Rai Police Station on Tuesday, according to&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.manager.co.th/Local/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9570000144856">ASTV-Manager Online</a>.&nbsp;</p> </div>

<div> <div>The military on Friday filed a police complaint against a man for posting lèse majesté messages on Facebook, <a href="http://www.matichon.co.th/news_detail.php?newsid=1418379487">Matichon Online</a> reported.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Lt Col Burin Thongprapai of the military’s Judge Advocate General’s Office on Friday accused Jatsadakorn D., 24, of violating Article 112 of the Criminal Code or the lèse majesté law. </div></div>

<div> <div>The military court in Chiang Rai on Thursday ruled to proceed with the trial of a lèse majesté case despite an obvious lack of intention on the part of the defendant who allegedly was out of his mind when committing the crime.&nbsp;</div> </div>

<div> <div>After lèse majesté complaints were filed by royalist groups in Bangkok and two northeastern provinces against a woman from Khon Kaen who allegedly wore black around the King’s birthday, the Thai authorities have decided to have the case investigated.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>According to the Thai Public Broadcasting Service, after a meeting on Tuesday of Internal Security Operations Command, the police, and personnel of Khon Kaen University, the Khon Kaen police will look into the accusations against Aree K., an employee of Srinagarind Hospital of Khon Kaen University.</div> <p>&lt;</p> </div>

<div> <div>The Thai authorities in the Northeast have summoned a woman for interrogation after she used a picture of herself and friends wearing black on her Facebook profile picture and cover photo during the King’s birthday weekend.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><span>Internal Security Operations Command summoned Aree K., an employee of Srinagarind Hospital, the teaching hospital for Khon Kaen University’s Faculty of Medicine, for interrogation after Thai internet royalists widely bullied her on Facebook, according to&nbsp;</span><a> </a></div></div>

<div> <div>The Criminal Court has sentenced Sgt Prasit Chaisrisa, a former Pheu Thai MP and red-shirt figure, to five years in jail, but since the defendant pleaded guilty, the jail term was halved to two years and six months.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The court ruled that Prasit defamed the King during a speech at an event titled “Stop Overthrowing Democracy,” held at the Imperial World Ladprao Department Store on 7 May 2014.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The court reasoned that the jail term should not be suspended because the speech greatly damaged the beloved monarchical instituti </div></div>

<div>The Criminal Court on Monday ruled to try in secret the case of a man charged with lèse majesté for sending to the Stop Lèse Majesté blog a link to content deemed as defaming the King.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>At 3.15 pm, Tanet (last name withheld due to privacy concerns) was taken to court for a preliminary hearing. </div>