<p>Freedom House condemns the trial of online media editor and human rights defender Prachatai executive director, Chiranuch (Jiew) Premchaiporn, who is accused of allowing comments deemed critical of the monarchy to be posted on the online forum that she moderates. Freedom House urges the Thai government to drop all charges against her and to immediately amend the country&rsquo;s 2007 Computer Crimes Act (CCA), so that it conforms to international human rights standards.</p>

<p>Asian Transnational Corporation (ATNC) Monitoring Network respectfully urges you to make effective protection and promotion of human rights a top priority in your administration. We strongly second the statement dated August 31, 2011, of the 112 scholars who called for action on Article 112 and the 2007 Computer Crimes Act. As the signatories of that statement have noted, domestic and international concern is mounting regarding the inexcusable and high number of cases of political prisoners being kept detained and imprisoned without charge.</p>

<p>On 12 Sept, Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung told reporters at Government House that he had called a meeting with police officers who had finished doctoral degrees on government scholarships to get rid of websites with l&egrave;se majest&eacute; content.</p>

<p>Thailand&rsquo;s long arm of the law is long indeed. The kindgom claims jurisdiction over speech and acts of all world citizens - conducted within their own countries or not, despite claimed legitimacy based on the need to protect revered institutions and national security, cuts to the very heart of national sovereignty vs. national right of universal prosecution against those who are domestically viewed as in violation of national laws. Confusion rightfully set in as to what then is domestic, what is global?</p>

<p>Yesterday, Thailand&rsquo;s Criminal Court would deny Joe Gordon bail for an eighth consecutive time. In its decision, the Court would cite a number of reasons for the American&rsquo;s ongoing incarceration, namely, the seriousness of the alleged offence. &ldquo;The witness had not yet testified&hellip; and the penalty, (if convicted), is high,&rdquo; wrote the Court.</p>

<p>A Bangkok-based computer programmer is the latest individual to be charged with both lese-majeste and the Computer Crimes Act.</p>

<p>Defamatory remarks against the Royal Family rose in number after the 2006 military coup left some people unhappy with the palace, prosecution witness Pol Maj-General Surapol Tuanthong told the court yesterday [2 Sept]. He was testifying in the computer crime case against prachatai.com online newspaper director Chiranuch Premchaiporn.</p>

<p>A capacity crowd of supporters filled the l&egrave;se majest&eacute; trial of Chiranuch Premchaiporn, webmaster of Thailand&rsquo;s independent online news portal Prachatai, which continued into its seventh day at Bangkok&rsquo;s Criminal Court. Yesterday&rsquo;s animated senior judge, The Honourable Kampol Rungrat, was joined by a second, Freedom Against Censorship Thailand (FACT) reports.</p>

<p>Reporters Without Borders is very worried about Chiranuch Premchaiporn, the head of the news website Prachatai, whose trial in connection with comments posted on her site resumes today. Also known as Jiew, she is charged under articles 14 and 15 of the Computer Crimes Act.</p>

<p>International concern for human rights in Thailand has been made clear in an open letter to Thailand’s Prime Minister, Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra.</p> <p>112 international scholars have signed a letter calling for reviews of lese majeste and computer crimes laws in Thailand. The letter draws attention to human rights issues and the political use of lese majeste (Article 112 of the Criminal Code) and the 2007 Computer Crimes Act.</p>

<p>U.S. citizen and l&egrave;se majest&eacute; prisoner Joe Gordon is &ldquo;learning a lot about Thai politics, in prison,&rdquo; and intends to mount a serious charge against the Thai Government in light of his ongoing incarceration.</p>

<p>Norawase Yotpiyasathien, 23, a business administration student who graduated this summer from Kasetsart University, was arrested last week for his online blog posts. He is the youngest and the latest victim of Thailand's l&egrave;se majest&eacute; law, and his arrest has caused deep dismay among many students.</p>