<p>The Military Court has released the eight junta critics who were abducted and charged with sedition for mocking the junta leader.</p> <p>The Military Court of Bangkok on Tuesday, 10 May 2016, granted bail to Supachai Saibutr, a photographer, Harit Mahaton, former reporter of Matichon and independent writer, Noppakao Kongsuwan, a person affiliated with the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), the main red shirt faction, Natthika Worathaiwich, Worawit Saksamutnan, Yothin Mankongsanga, Thonnawan Buranasiri and Kannasit Tangboonthina.</p>

<p>Despites laws on community rights under previous constitutions, academics and activists pointed out that rights over resources for local communities have been put under severe strain from the authoritarian regime of the Thai junta. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Academics and human rights activists gathered at Thammasat University, Tha Prachan Campus in Bangkok, on Monday, 9 May 2016, at a public forum titled ‘Judicial Process, Community Rights and Human Defenders’ to discuss community rights under the military regime in Thailand. &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<div> <div> <div>Facebook has rebutted Thai Facebook users’ concerns that the company has compromised its privacy policy to the Thai government, following the arrests of online activists charged with private Facebook chat content.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Tuesday, 10 May 2016, Facebook insisted that it never provides user information and does not cooperate with the Thai junta’s censorship practice, rejecting the allegations in the past few weeks that Facebook has supported the junta in the recent cyber crackdown against the junta critics, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BBCThai/photos/a.1</p> </a></div></div></div>

<div> <div> <div>Bangkok is going to unilaterally review the terms of reference (TOR) of the peace dialogue with Muslim Malay insurgents. Meanwhile, delegates of the insurgents groups are disappointed with junta leader disparagement of the talks. </div></div></div>

<div> <div>The Thai police chief has warned anti-junta activists to take the case of the arrested activist’s mother as an example of what happens to those who oppose the junta.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Saturday, 7 May 2016, Chakthip Chaijinda, Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, warned anti-junta activists that their family members can be prosecuted, just like Patnaree Charnkij, an activist’s mother who has been charged under the lèse majesté law.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Chakthip said that the junta repeatedly and clearly explained the country’s roadmap to the public. </div></div>

<div>Thai academics and activists have announced that they will deactivate their Facebook accounts as a protest against Facebook Thailand for its compromise with the junta on censorship. </div>

<div style="text-align: center;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <div>The Military Court has issued an arrest warrant for Patnaree Charnkij, mother of a pro-democracy activist, for lèse-majesté. Her lawyer said authorities issued an arrest warrant without a summons. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Friday, 6 May 2016, Khaosod <a href="http://www.khaosod.co.th/view_newsonline.php?newsid=1462507334">reported</a> that the Bangkok Military Court issued an arrest warrant for Patnaree Charnkij under Article 112 of the Criminal Code, the lèse-majesté law. </div></div></div>

<div>The latest order by the junta replaces elected local councillors with appointed government officials and gives the junta head the power to directly dismiss ‘corrupt’ councillors. This will allow the junta to take total control of local administrative organizations across the country within four years. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Thursday, 5 May 2016, the Royal Gazette <a href="http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2559/E/102/13.PDF">published</a> NCPO Order No. 22/2016 on the selection of local administration councillor. </div>

<p>In the first apparent acknowledgement it is cooperating with Thai authorities in censoring content, Facebook has blocked its users in Thailand from accessing a page satirizing Thailand’s Royal Family, citing local laws.</p> <p>Facebook users in Thailand on Thursday discovered that they can no longer view a satirical page which occasionally lampoons the monarchy.&nbsp;</p>

<p dir="ltr">Thai academics have urged the UN to investigate human rights abuses as the Thai junta increases its crackdown on political dissidents ahead of the referendum on the draft constitution.</p> <p>The<a href="https://web.facebook.com/BBCThai/posts/1769882346566131"> BBC Thai</a> reported that 12 academics from leading universities in Thailand on Thursday, 5 May 2016, submitted a letter to the UN, urging the UN human rights office to investigate the increasing violations and abuses of human rights done by the Thai authorities.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The Thai election commission has warned that people selling t-shirts with prints about the referendum on the junta-sponsored draft constitution might face up to 10 years imprisonment.</p> <p>On Wednesday, 4 May 2016, Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, Election Commissioner of Thailand (ETC), told media that certain political groups might be charged under the Draft Referendum Act for selling t-shirts with images or texts about the referendum on the draft constitution.</p>

<p>Three female political dissidents, two of whom were forced to undertake pelvic examinations, recall their ordeal in women’s prisons while human rights lawyers have urged the Thai authorities not to violate the rights of detainees.</p>