<div> <div>Despite heavy criticism, the junta’s constitution drafters have insisted on keeping the death penalty in the organic law on political parties.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 20 December 2016, Norachit Sinhaseni, spokesperson for the junta’s Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC), said that after hosting public hearings on the Organic Bill on Political Parties, the CDC decided to retain the death penalty for politicians guilty of serious corruption, like receiving money in exchange for political positions, <a href="http://www.tnamcot.com/content/618188">reported</a> the Thai News Agency </div></div>

<p>Police in northeastern Thailand have summoned seven anti-mine activists, accusing them of intimidating district officials and unlawful assembly.</p> <p>On 18 December 2016, seven members of an activist group called Khon Rak Ban Koed (KRBK), translated as ‘People Who Love Their Home’, reported to Wang Saphung Police Station in Loei Province after one of them received a summons in early December.</p> <p>KRBK is an anti-mine group comprising villagers from six villages in Wang Saphung District.</p>

<div> <div>A series of cyber-attacks have been launched against Thai government websites in response to the recent passage of the Computer Crime Act, which will strengthen state censorship power and online surveillance.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> </div> <div>After the junta’s rubber-stamp National Legislative Assembly (NLA)&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/6785">approved the amendment to the controversial Computer Crimes Act</a> on 16 December, various government websites have been shut down by cyber-attacks.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Various actors have claimed responsibility for </div>

<p>Withdrawing an earlier ruling, a district court has sentenced a prominent anti-junta activist to two months in prison with the jail term suspended for one year.</p> <p>On 19 December 2016, Pathumwan District Court of Bangkok read the verdict of the Court of First Instance for Apichat Pongsawat, a 27-year-old prominent anti-junta activist.</p> <p>The court sentenced Apichat to two months in prison and a 6,000 baht fine for violating the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) Head’s Order No. 3/2015 and Article 215 of the Criminal Code.</p>

<p>After a seven-year fight for justice, a provincial court has accepted a lawsuit against four police officers accused of torturing a suspect.</p>

<div>Thailand’s newly amended Computer Crimes Act will jeopardise the junta’s ‘Thailand 4.0’ policy of developing the country’s digital economy, says an organisation leading Thailand’s financial technology industry. Allowing authorities to access the personal data of internet users will force businesses out of the country.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 16 December 2016, Thailand’s junta-appointed legislature, the National Legislative Assembly, unanimously voted to pass an amendment to the controversial Computer Crimes Act. </div>

<p>The spokesperson of the Thai junta leader has warned that those who participate in public gatherings against the controversial new Computer Crime Act could be prosecuted.</p> <p>On 18 December 2016, Lt Gen Sansern Keawkamnerd, spokesperson of the Prime Minister’s Office, told the media that those who planned to participate in protests against the Computer Crime Bill could be prosecuted for causing public disturbances,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tnamcot.com/content/616858">Thai News Agency reported</a>.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Thai netizens have staged a protest against the draconian Computer Crime Bill the junta’s lawmakers recently passed. &nbsp;</p> <p>At 3 pm on 18 December 2016, four youth activists gathered at Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC), Bangkok, to stage a symbolic protest against the new controversial Computer Crime Bill.</p> <p>The junta’s National Legislative Assembly (NLA) passed the bill during the third reading with 167-0 votes in favor and five abstentions on Friday.</p>

<div>The junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly (NLA) has passed an amendment of the Computer Crimes Act, despite a petition opposing the draft gaining over 300,000 signatures. </div>

<div>Despite the protests of over 300,000 Thais, the junta’s lawmakers have passed the controversial Computer Crimes Bill to provide the state with heightened online surveillance and censorship powers. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 16 December 2016, the National Legislative Assembly, the junta-appointed law-making body, unanimously passed an amendment to the controversial Computer Crime Act. </div>

<p dir="ltr">A military prosecutor has indicted 19 members of the anti-establishment red-shirt movement for breaking the junta’s political gathering ban.</p> <p>On 16 December 2016, a military prosecutor indicted 19 leading members of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), the main red shirt faction, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/iLawClub/photos/a.10150540436460551.646424.299528675550/10157877845475551/?type=3&amp;theater">iLaw reported</a>.</p>

<p dir="ltr">A military court has questioned an anti-junta activist’s mother accused of lèse majesté in a closed hearing.</p> <p dir="ltr">On 14 December 2016, the Military Court of Bangkok held a deposition hearing for Patnaree Charnkij, the mother of the well-known anti-junta activist Sirawit Serithiwat.</p> <p dir="ltr">Before the hearing began, the court announced it would proceed with the hearing in camera, allowing only Patnaree and her defence lawyer to be in the courtroom without any observers since the case is related to the lèse majesté law.</p>