<div> <div>Thai junta has just set a new standard of censorship after police officers confiscated anti-junta activists’ balloons and stickers campaigning for the right to campaign for the August referendum.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>After seven student activists from the New Democracy Movement (NDM), a pro-democracy activist group, were arrested and later detained last week for handing out flyers campaigning to Vote No in the August referendum, they were visited by other NDM activists on Monday, 27 June 2016, at Bangkok Remand Prison, Matichon Online <a href="http://www.matichon.co.th/ne</p> </a></div></div>

<div> <div>A military spokesman earlier blamed the death of a corporal on his poor health, rather than on inhumane and excessive-punishment imposed by his superior officer, and the junta leader has reiterated the claim and urged the media to stop reporting about the death, and focus on the Army’s good side.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Last week, the public was outraged over the death of an Army corporal, Panya Ngoenrian. </div></div>

<div> <div>The head of Thailand’s ruling junta has said that, unlike David Cameron, he will remain in power even if the August referendum rejects the constitution his administration has had drafted. </div></div>

<p dir="ltr">After two years behind bars, a former engineering student convicted under the lèse majesté law is determined to go back to school and begin a new life.</p> <p>On 23 June 2016, Akaradej (last name withheld due to privacy concerns), a former engineering student, was released after serving two years and three days in prison for offences under Article 112 of the Criminal Code, the lèse majesté law, and Article 14 of the 2007 Computer Crime Act, a law against importation of illegal computer contents.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The 13 activists arrested for campaigning about the draft charter referendum could face up to 10 years imprisonment for ‘Vote No’ campaign.</p> <p dir="ltr">Amid presence of pro-democracy crowd in front of the courthouse, the Military Court of Bangkok at around 6:30 pm on Friday, 24 June 2016, granted to the police the custody permission to detained 13 pro-democracy activists arrested for distributing ‘Vote No’ flyers to campaign for the upcoming draft constitution referendum.</p>

<p><strong><em>Update</em></strong><em>: Seven activists in total were arrested for commemorating the 84^thanniversary of the 1932 Siamese Revolution. Six are student activists from Ramkhamhaeng and Kasetsart University while another is Chanoknan Ruamsap, a youth activist from the New Democracy Movement (NDM). The police accused the seven of violating the junta’s ban on political gatherings and on Saturday will request permission from the Military Court to detain them. &nbsp; &nbsp;</em></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><em><strong>Update:</strong> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1123490757692319&amp;id=100000942179021&amp;pnref=story">Anon Nampa, human rights lawyer, reported at 9:20 am on Friday</a>, 24 June 2016, that the police refused to grant bail to some of the pro-democracy activists and filed an additional charge against the 13 activists for refusing to sign the police report.</em></p>

<div> <div>Pro-democracy activists and unionists have been arrested for distributing ‘vote no’ flyers to people at an industrial estate after the authorities asked them to stop the activity. </div></div>

<div>A flyer battle began when authorities attempted to prohibit pro-democracy activists from handing out flyers campaigning to ‘vote no’ in the August referendum while junta volunteers ‘explaining’ the draft constitution faced resistance from local people.</div> <h2>Pro-democracy activists allowed to distribute flyers for only 30 minutes</h2> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <div>On Wednesday, 22 June 2016, Rangsiman Rome, a leader of the New Democracy Movement (NDM), a pro-democracy activist group, together with another two members of the movement, handed out ‘vote no’ flyers to local people in Samrong D </div></div>

<div> <div>An army corporal has died of heatstroke after his commander ordered him as a punishment to run 7.5 kilometres without lunch, plus 20 sets of burpees, despite the intense heat of the day. </div></div>

<p>A cartoonist for Matichon Weekly was summoned today to explain why he penned cartoons critical of a junta-backed draft constitution, even though they were from 10 months ago and referred to a different draft.</p> <p>For lampooning that first draft, which was&nbsp;<a href="http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2015/09/06/1441526826/">rejected</a>&nbsp;by junta-appointed lawmakers in September last year, the Election Commission said cartoonist Arun Watcharasawat must report himself next week to explain his action.</p>

<div> <div>The Election Commission of Thailand has expressed concern after less than 50,000 people registered to vote outside their constituency in the upcoming charter referendum, which is a quarter of the number in the previous referendum.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Wednesday, 22 June 2016, Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, a commissioner of the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT), told the media that only 48,050 people have registered with the ECT to vote outside their home constituency in the August referendum. </div></div>