<p>The Criminal Court has agreed to a request by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to detain Nat Sattayapornpisut, 27, who has been charged under the 2007 Computer Crimes Act after he was found to have sent offensive clips to a blog called ‘StopLeseMajeste’. </p>
<p>Somsak Jeamtheerasakul, a Thammasat University lecturer in history, told a public forum that in order to get rid of the so-called ‘Amat’ regime (traditional elitist rule), it was necessary to change the constitutional clause on the royal prerogatives to conform to the principles of democracy. This included two main points: the appointment of Privy Councillors and the succession, with the latter being changed after the 1991 coup.</p>
<p class="rteleft">On 24 Sept, Prawase Praphanukul, lawyer for Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul, together with a group of activists, submitted letters to the embassies of the US and Australia, and the offices of the EU and the UN in Bangkok, asking those countries and organizations to call on Thailand to stop the imprisonment of political prisoners.</p>
By AHRC |
<p>Dear Princess Bajrakitiyabha</p>
<p>The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) listened with close attention to your speech on 14 September 2009 to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, and is aware of your work for the rights of women prisoners in Thailand through the Kamlangjai Project, as well as with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and your role as a UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador.</p>
<p>Da Torpedo’s lawyer has submitted complaints to the Corrections Department, asking for an explanation of what he alleged as discrimination against his client, including putting her in solitary confinement as a punishment and labeling her as a lèse majesté convict. He also suspected warders of eavesdropping on his talks with his client, and prying into confidential documents.</p>
<p>Prachatai has made several visits to Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul during her detention in the prison. Here is her life in the lockup, assembled from her own accounts.</p>
By Marwaan Macan-Markar, IPS |
<p>BANGKOK, Aug 31 (IPS) - Thailand’s draconian lese majeste law is steadily emerging as a testing ground for the principles that renowned international human rights lobbies stand for.</p>
By AHRC |
<p>The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing to you to request urgent intervention in accordance with your respective mandates in response to the case of Darunee Chanchoengsilapakul, and also with a view to wider concerns about steadily declining freedom of expression and increasing politicization of the judiciary in Thailand.</p>
By Pravit Rojanaphruk |
<p>There she was, in a tiny undated black and white photo, slightly over an inch in height and less than an inch in width, still smiling. Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul, aka Da Torpedo, a former journalist and a supporter of ousted and convicted former premier Thaksin Shinwatra. Daranee’s posture is slightly Mona Lisa-like – which is rather bizarre, given the kind of news she found herself in.</p>
<p>On 28 Aug, the Criminal Court found Daranee Charnchoengsilapakul guilty as charged and sentenced her to 18 years in jail.</p>
By Reporters Without Borders |
<p>Reporters Without Borders is alarmed by the recent creation of a police taskforce to monitor websites and identify those posting content that violates Thailand’s draconian lese majeste law.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">A police IT task force has been set up to monitor websites and track down those who offend the monarchy.<span> </span>Police find it difficult to deal with websites whose servers are located abroad.<span> </span>The Crime Suppression Division is investigating Thaksin’s phone-ins, and charges are likely to be made. <span> </span></span></p>