<p dir="ltr">Thailand’s army chief has said that the Army Cyber Centre will closely monitor news deemed defamatory to the Thai Monarchy.</p>
<p dir="ltr">On 1 November 2016, Gen Chalermchai Suthisad, Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army (RTA), said that the army will use its cyber centres to monitor distorted news from within and outside the country. This relates especially to news that violates Article 112, the lèse majesté law, of the Criminal Code, <a href="https://www.matichonweekly.com/featured/article_13296">Matichon Online reported</a>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">A Criminal Court has dismissed a charge against a well-known Pheu Thai Party politician indicted under the Computer Crime Act for mocking a deputy junta head.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In a raid on a tattoo parlor, police arrested a 16-year-old teenager who allegedly posted a lèse majesté message on a fake Facebook account posing as his girlfriend’s stepmother. The fake account and the post had been made at his girlfriend’s request.</p>
<div>Police have investigated 20 cases of lèse majesté since the passing of King Bhumibol Adulyadej on 13 October 2016, according to a spokesperson from the Royal Thai Police.
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<div>Police have raided a tattoo parlour and arrested two suspects accused of posting lèse majesté messages on Facebook.
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<div>The application Line will cooperate with the Thai junta to suppress lèse majesté content during the period of national mourning for the late King, claims Thailand’s Digital Minister.
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<div>For a second time, a military court in northern Thailand has denied bail for a lèse-majesté suspect accused of posting defamatory images of the Crown Prince online. </div>
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<div>On 26 October 2016, the Chiang Rai Military Court denied bail for Sarawut (surname withheld due to privacy reasons), a 32-year-old lèse-majesté suspect, <a href="http://www.tlhr2014.com/th/?p=2582">reported</a>
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<div>Thailand's police commander says he is willing to cover the flight costs for lèse majesté suspects to leave Thailand, adding he is happy to go into debt for the country.</div>
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<div>On 26 October 2016, Gen Pol Chakthip Chaijinda, Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, said that the police are doing their best to prosecute people accused of lèse majesté both inside and outside the country.
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<p>A teenager in southern Thailand has accused a transwoman of creating a fake Facebook account to post a lèse majesté message.</p>
<p>On 25 October 2016, Natthakan (surname withheld due to privacy concerns), a 17-year-old woman, filed a complaint at Kantang District Police Station in the southern province of Trang.</p>
<p>She reported that images of her holding a pistol along with a message deemed defamatory to the Thai Monarchy were posted in a Facebook account titled ‘Nubowi Rak Piommi’.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Ultra-royalist Thais living abroad have harassed fellow Thais accused of insulting the Thai monarchy.</p>
<p dir="ltr">On 22 October 2016, a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1L8lBC9KH0">Youtube clip</a> showing a few Thai women in Sweden looking for a Thai woman named ‘Wanphen’ was posted.</p>
<p>A deputy junta head has asked Google and YouTube to cooperate in blocking websites and videos with alleged lèse majesté content.</p>
<p>On 21 October 2016, Deputy Prime Minister ACM Prajin Junthong invited Ann Lavin, Director of Public Policy of Google’s Southeast Asia and Greater China office, for a meeting at Government House.</p>
<div>After 44 students were arrested in connection to an alleged Bangkok bombing plot, a group of academics who support human rights has urged authorities to stop the arbitrary arrest of Muslim Malay citizens.</div>
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<div>Over the past week, 36 males and eight female Deep South youths have been arrested in a series of raids by a combined task force of police officers and soldiers.
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