<div>Giggles were heard Wednesday, 11 May 2016, at a panel discussion and viewing of Phase Two of Thailand’s Universal Periodic Review by the United Nations at Black Box Café and Bar Ploenchit, during the opening remarks by a Thai Government representative. The tone of the day had been set.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a mechanism of the United Nations to assure transparent practice of human rights, which operates in a five year cycle. </div>

<p>Thai military detained political dissidents associated with the anti-establishment red shirt and raided their houses&nbsp;together with Pheu Thai politicians in a campaign to crackdown on mafia. &nbsp;</p> <p>A combined military and police force on Thursday morning, 12 May 2016, raided at least a dozen of houses in the central provinces of Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao in a campaign called ‘Cleaning Pak-nam, Getting rid of Influential Figures’ to crackdown on mafia.</p>

<div> <div>The military has gone to a new level by intimidating a pro-democracy Buddhist monk at his temple.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Thursday, 12 May 2016, Phraiwan Wannabut revealed on Facebook and to Prachatai that the military had visited him at his temple more than five times and will come again this Saturday.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Each time, the military take photos of the monk and plead with the monk to stop all political activities, including writing articles and Facebook posts, and also offer him lunch. </div></div>

<div> <div>Amid international concerns on the abuse of Thailand’s lèse majesté law, the Thai Justice Minister said other countries did not understand that the law is necessary for Thailand since they did not have civilization, sensitivity, and gentleness.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Gen Paiboon Koomchaya, the Minister of Justice, said in having the King, Thailand was unique and civilized. </div></div>

<p>The Thai military have reportedly abducted a cameraman and another individual in the central province of Samut Prakan after attempting to break into the house of a Pheu Thai Party politician earlier this morning.</p>

<p>The Thai military and police have attempted to break into the house of a Pheu Thai Party politician to detain him after he criticized the junta leader.</p> <p>According to&nbsp;<a href="http://news.voicetv.co.th/thailand/363591.html">Voice TV,</a>&nbsp;a news source from the Pheu Thai Party reported that soldiers and police officers in the early hours of Thursday, 12 May 2016, surrounded the house of Worachai Hema, a former Member of Parliament (MP) of the Pheu Thai Party from Samut Prakan Province, and attempted to break into the house.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The Military Court has detained two of <a href="http://www.prachatai.org/english/category/the-eight-abducted-junta-critics">the eight junta critics </a>and another political dissident charged under the lѐse majesté law.</p> <p>The Military Court of Bangkok at 3:30 pm on Wednesday, 11 May 2016, granted custody permission to the police to detain Harit Mahaton and Natthika Worathaiwich, suspects of offences under Article 112 of the Criminal Code, the lѐse majesté law. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The Military Court has detained two of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prachatai.org/english/category/the-eight-abducted-junta-critics">the eight junta critics&nbsp;</a>and another political dissident after they were charged under the lѐse majesté law.</p> <p>The Military Court of Bangkok at 3:30 pm on Wednesday, 11 May 2016, granted a police request to detain Harit Mahaton and Natthika Worathaiwich, suspects under Article 112 of the Criminal Code, the lѐse majesté law. &nbsp;</p>

<p><em><strong>Update</strong>: Watana Muangsook, an embattled Pheu Thai Party politician, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WatanaMuangsook/posts/750193308449534">posted on his Facebook account</a> that nine people in total were summoned by the military from the 3rd Region military Base for joining the trip to investigate corruption allegations on the canal dredging project in Phitsanulok.</em></p>

<p>Former senators, human rights and election commissioners have pointed out that the laws regulating campaigns before the referendum to pass the junta-sponsored draft constitution ironically go against the junta’s Interim Charter.</p> <p>Jon Ungpakorn, a former senator and current director of iLaw, a human rights advocacy group, Kraisak Choonhavan, former senator, and Niran Pitakwatchara, former member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), on Tuesday, 10 May 2016, submitted a letter to Raksagecha Chaechai, Secretary-General of the Office of the Ombudsman.</p>

<p dir="ltr">After the Military Court released the eight junta critics charged for sedition on bail, police detained two of the eight again as they have been charged of lѐse majesté. &nbsp;</p> <p>The police, at around 5:20 pm on Tuesday, 10 May 2016, detained Harit Mahaton and &nbsp;Natthika Worathaiwich, suspects under Article 116 and Article 112 of the Criminal Code, the sedition and the lѐse majesté law.</p>

<p>The cabinet has ordered the closure of a controversial gold mine in the northern province of Phichit by the end of 2016, adding that the Labour Ministry will assist about 1,000 mine workers once it closes down. &nbsp;</p>