<p dir="ltr">Condemning the decision by a Thai court to put a young pro-democracy activist on trial for sharing a BBC profile of the new king on Facebook, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the authorities to stop using the lèse-majesté law both to jail critics and to deter the media from covering the monarchy.</p>

<p>Amid public outcry, a provincial court has refused to release Jatuphat ‘Pai Dao Din’ Boonpattararaksa, an embattled anti-junta activist accused of lèse majesté. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>On 1 February 2017, the Khon Kaen Provincial Court in an in camera hearing granted police permission to continue the detention of Jatuphat Boonpattararaksa, a law student and key member of the New Democracy Movement (NDM).</p>

<p dir="ltr">A military court has sentenced to jail an activist demanding a probe into the Rajabhakti Park corruption allegations.</p> <p>On 25 January 2017, the Military Court of Bangkok <a href="http://www.tlhr2014.com/th/?p=3366">handed out 8 months of imprisonment </a>to Thanet Anantawong for defying the junta’s ban on political gatherings of five or more persons.</p> <p>The military court judges, however, halved the jail term to four months after Thanet pleaded guilty.</p>

<p>Anti-junta activists have filed a civil lawsuit against the Thai army, police, and the Prime Minister’s Office for abusing the rights of peaceful demonstrators. &nbsp;</p> <p>On 24 January 2017, activists from the New Democracy Movement (NDM) led by Rangsiman Rome, key leader of the group, attended a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prachachat.net/news_detail.php?newsid=1485242721">preliminary hearing</a>&nbsp;at the Southern Bangkok Civil Court.</p>

<p>Thai authorities should immediately release a prominent pro-democracy activist charged for a Facebook posting under laws intended to protect Thailand’s monarchy, Human Rights Watch said today. Jatupat (Pai) Boonphatthararaksa faces up to 15 years in prison for lese majeste (insulting the monarchy) charges initiated by the military.</p>

<p>A provincial court in northeastern Thailand has denied bail for an anti-junta student activist accused of lèse majesté.</p> <p>At about 12:30 pm on 20 January 2016, the Khon Kaen Provincial Court of in an in-camera hearing granted police permission to continue the detention of Jatuphat ‘Pai’ Boonpattararaksa, a law student and key member of the New Democracy Movement (NDM).</p>

<p>In the presence of dozens of soldiers and police officers, people gathered yesterday evening in central Bangkok to show solidarity with an embattled anti-junta activist held in custody for lèse majesté.</p> <p>At 5 pm on 18 January 2017, about 50 people — many of them members of the anti-junta activist groups New Democracy Movement (NDM) and Resistant Citizen — gathered on the skywalk above Ratchaprasong Intersection in Bangkok.</p>

<p>Leading anti-junta activist groups have planned to gather at Ratchaprasong Intersection in central Bangkok from 5-6 pm on 18 January 2017 to support Jatuphat ‘Pai’ Boonpattararaksa.</p> <p>The organisers of the ‘Anything for Pai’ event are the New Democracy Movement (NDM) of which Jatuphat is a member and Resistant Citizen, another well-known anti-junta group. &nbsp;</p> <p>The group will gather on the skywalk at the intersection to write postcards and perform other activities.</p>

<p>Despite hopes an embattled student activist would be able to sit his exams behind bars, a Dean of Khon Kaen University has confirmed the university will not make an exception for Jatuphat ‘Pai Dao Din’ Boonpattararaksa.</p> <p>On 17 January 2017, Asst. Prof. Kittibodee Yaipool, Dean of Khon Kaen University’s Law Faculty,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tlhr2014.com/th/?p=3283">announced</a>&nbsp;that currently the university has no plans to facilitate examinations in Khon Kaen Prison for Jatuphat a.</p>

<div>On December 3, two days after Thailand’s new king took the throne, Khon Kaen Univeristy Student Pai Daodin, (real name Jatupat Boompattararaksa), became the first lese majesty victim of the King’s new reign by pushing "share" on an ordinary BBC news article: “<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38126928" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Profile: Thailand’s New King Vajiralongkorn</a>” (Pai shared the Thai version of this article). It is a good article and an important article, and I recommend you check it out.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The world was outraged. </div>

<p dir="ltr">A spokesperson for Thailand’s Court of Justice has warned activists against gathering in front of a criminal court to support a detained lèse majesté suspect, saying they may be liable for criminal charges.</p>