<p>Amnesty International has issued an <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa39/3470/2020/en/">appeal</a> for its members worldwide to send letters to Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha calling for an end to criminal prosecutions of peaceful protestors.</p>

<p>Two students facing charges under the lèse majesté law for participating in a &ldquo;fashion show&rdquo; during a pro-democracy protest on Silom Road went to hear the charges yesterday (17 December), while members of the We Volunteer protest guard group and other protesters gathered outside the police station in Thai traditional dress to show support.</p>

<p>The number of people involved in recent protests who have been charged under Section 112 continues to rise as 31 people have now been summoned, one of whom is 16 years old. Meanwhile, the public prosecutor in Nakhon Phanom has issued a prosecution order in the case of a man accused of royal defamation for a Facebook post made in 2016.</p>

<p>A group of alumni and current students from the Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University, has issued an <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nisitchulaparty/posts/196286588789050">open letter</a> to King Vajiralongkorn, calling for the repeal of Thailand&rsquo;s lèse majesté law, with which at least 24 people involved with recent protests have been charged in the past two weeks.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Phrae Democracy Lovers network has reported that police got from the Vice Principal of Nareerat School the names of students involved in a display of banners and card images promoting democracy and the abolition of the lèse majesté law at the school&rsquo;s sports day on 11 December.</p>

<p>17 activists have received summonses to hear lèse majesté charges during the past week, since Parit Chiwarak received a summons on 24 November. The law has not been used in the past two years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>5 leading figures of the pro-democracy protest went to hear charges at Chanasongkram Police Station for addressing the monarchy. 3 more have received police summonses.</p>

<p>Parit &lsquo;Penguin&rsquo; Chiwarak, a student activist who has been advocating monarchy reform, has received a police summons for violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code and the Computer Crime Act. A list from a police source shows charges against 11 more activists are expected to follow.</p>

<p>Several police complaints have been filed against the leaders and a supporter of the 19 September protest, including a lèse majesté complaint.</p>

<p>Apiwat Kantong, vice minister of the Office of the Prime Minister, filed a complaint today (5 August) against human rights lawyer Anon Nampa accusing him of defaming the monarchy in his speech at the <a href="https://prachatai.com/english/node/8696">Harry Potter-themed protest</a> on Monday (3 August), during which he called for monarchy reform and open criticism of the crown.</p>

<p>Pizza is unquestionably one of the best things ever happened to mankind. A form of it has been around since ancient times, and it is considered a crime for a person to say &ldquo;I hate pizza.&rdquo; But in Thailand, it is okay to say that. It means you do not want to be in jail for 15 years or longer because &lsquo;pizza&rsquo; in Thai is also a political slang term for the lèse majesté law.&nbsp;</p>