<div>A hacker has been detained for allegedly launching attacks against government websites in response to the passage of the Criminal Crimes Act amendment.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 28 December 2016, the Criminal Court of Justice granted police officers custody over Natdanai Khongdi, age 19, a suspect in the attacks on government websites that came after amendments to the controversial Computer Crimes Act, <a href="https://www.khaosod.co.th/breaking-news/news_162975">reported</a> Khaosod.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The case’s police investigators asked the court to reject any bail i </div>

<p dir="ltr">A criminal court has dismissed charges against a man accused of shooting at PDRC demonstrators, since the accused’s confession was made under duress.</p> <p dir="ltr">On 27 December 2016, the Criminal Court of Thailand dismissed a second criminal charge filed against Somsak Poonsawat, <a href="http://www.tlhr2014.com/th/?p=3131">the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported</a>.</p>

<div>Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission has refused to award its annual transparency award, saying none of the nominated organisations satisfied its criteria for good governance.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>While 11 organisations were highly commended, no organisations received the rating of ‘excellent’ required to win the award, according to the National Anti-Corruption Commission’s (NAC) website.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>This is the first year no organisation has won the award, which is in its sixth year. </div>

<p dir="ltr">Hacktivists posted online Tuesday documents they say contradict army denials it has purchased decryption devices that would allow access to encrypted computer traffic.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The court of appeal has denied bail for a well-known anti-junta activist accused of defaming King Rama X. &nbsp;</p> <p dir="ltr">On 27 December 2016, an appeal court in Khon Kaen Province denied bail to Jatuphat Boonpattaraksa, the first person charged with lèse majesté under the reign of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.</p> <p dir="ltr">The court reasoned that Jatuphat does not seem to respect the law or state authorities, adding that he could intervene with evidence if released.</p>

<div>Representatives from both the Pheu Thai and Democrat parties have called for the promulgation of the recently amended Computer Crimes Act to be delayed, so that its controversial changes can be rethought.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>For Surapong Tovichakchaikul, a leader of the Pheu Thai party, the Computer Crimes Act will never succeed in preventing netizens from using technology and the internet for dissenting purposes.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Amendments to the Act that were unanimously approved by Thailand’s junta-appointed legislature, the National Legislative Assembly, </div>

<p dir="ltr">Activists have celebrated Christmas with the birth of ‘Fairly Tell’, a new organisation offering former prisoners and activists space to voice their stories of injustice.</p> <p dir="ltr">On 25 December 2016, Pornthip ‘Kolf’ Mankhong, a former lèse-majesté prisoner, gathered with fellow former prisoners, activists and supporters at Ma Share Doo shop to open the new activist group Fairly Tell.</p>

<div>Facebook has published a report revealing that the junta requested access to personal information on three Facebook users during the first half of 2016.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/477/30660976064_89151bd9cd.jpg" style="width: 640px; height: 360px;" /></div> <div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#ff8c00;">Photo courtesy of </span><a href="https://pixabay.com/th/facebook-%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B7%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%82%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%97%E</p> </a></div>

<div> <div>Thai authorities have arrested nine people for allegedly launching cyber-attacks against Thai government websites during the past week. The attacks were in response to amendments to the controversial Computer Crimes Act. </div></div>

<p>The Thai authorities have detained youths who allegedly carried out DDoS attacks against government websites in protest against the controversial new Computer Crime Act. &nbsp;</p> <p>On 21 December 2016, Somsak Khaosuwan, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), revealed that the police have detained youths who were allegedly involved in carrying out Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on the websites of ministries and state agencies.</p>

<div> <div>In a secret hearing, a provincial court has revoked bail in a lèse majesté case, ruling that the suspect insulted the authorities in a Facebook post.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 22 December 2016, Khon Kaen Provincial Court approved a police request to revoke bail for Jatuphat Boonpattaraksa, <a href="http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/6763">the first person charged with lèse majesté under the reign of King Maha Vajiralongkorn</a>. The court conducted the hearing in secret and ruled that the suspect has violated bail conditions. </div></div>

<p>The Royal Thai Army is conducting a programme to educate kindergarten children to be patriotic through the junta’s controversial nationalistic 12 Thai Values. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p>On 21 December 2016, Lt Col Phansak Phraewphanit, Commander of the 1st Infantry Battalion of the 29 Army Regiment in Kanchanaburi Province, welcomed a group of 180 kindergarten children and their teachers to participate in a ‘Homeland Defence Battalion’ programme,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.matichon.co.th/news/402675">Matichon Online reported</a>.</p>