<p>A civil society human rights organisation has urged the Thai authorities to carry out an ‘independent’ investigation into the mysterious death in custody of a drug trafficking suspect.</p> <p>On Tuesday, 17 November 2015, the Cross Cultural Organisation (CrCF), a civil society human rights organisation, issued a public statement about the sudden death of Anan Koedkaew, 34, a drug trafficking suspect who died mysteriously three days after interrogation.</p> <p>Anan was arrested by investigators of Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Police on 9 November 2015.</p>

<p>Thailand’s Buddhist religious authorities have announced a policy to defrock monks who post ‘inappropriate’ messages and other online content on social media.</p> <p>Chayaphon Pongsida, the Deputy Director of the Office of National Buddhism (ONB), announced on Tuesday, 17 November 2015, that Mahathera Samakhom, the Sangha (clergy) Supreme Council of Thailand, recently came up with a new policy to control the online behaviour of Buddhist monks.</p>

<p>The former chief investigator into the Rohingya trafficking case plans to move abroad with his family after resigning from the police force out of fear for his family’s safety. &nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p>According to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thairath.co.th/content/539984">Thairath News</a>, Maj Gen Paween Pongsiri, the head of the team investigating the human trafficking of Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants, has reportedly decided to move abroad with his family out of fear of the repercussions from the still powerful trafficking syndicates.</p>

<p>The Civil and Political Rights Subcommittee of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has concluded that although the 2013-2014 anti-election protests of People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) were overall constitutional, they violated the rights of others.</p>

<p>The Thai authorities have allegedly deported two Chinese activists in self-imposed exile who are registered as refugees by the UN back to China. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>According to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/get-involved/take-action-now/china-release-jiang-yefei-and-dong-guangping-ua-25915">Amnesty International (AI)</a>, Jiang Yefei and Dong Guangping, two Chinese activists who fled from China to Thailand, are currently at grave danger of ill-treatment and torture after the Thai authorities deported them back to China between 12 and 16 November 2015.</p>

<p>The Supreme Court reduced the jail term of a lèse majesté convict, setting him free eight months earlier than his initial jail term.</p> <p>On Sunday, 15 November 2015, Ekachai H., a lèse majesté convict, was set free after serving two years and eight months in prison.</p>

<p>Buddhist organisations in Thailand have stepped up efforts to push the Thai authorities to make Buddhism the state religion while a recent controversial poll shows that most people are in favour of the plan.</p> <p>According to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.dailynews.co.th/education/360442">Daily News Online</a>, on Thursday, 12 November 2015, Venerable Prasan Chantasaro, general secretary of the Buddhism Protection Centre of Thailand, submitted a statement to Tinnapan Nakata, the of the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA).</p>

<p>An international writers’ association has demanded the unconditional release of youth activists imprisoned under the lèse majesté law for staging a play called the ‘Wolf Bride’.</p> <p>Pen International, an international association promoting freedom of expression, will mark the 34th anniversary of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pen-international.org/newsitems/pen-marks-the-34th-anniversary-of-the-annual-day-of-the-imprisoned-writer/">the Day of the Imprisoned Writer</a>&nbsp;this coming Sunday, 15 November 2015, by campaigning on behalf of writers worldwide who have suffered persecution.</p>

<p>An international think tank monitoring corruption has revealed in its latest report that Thailand’s defence spending is among the least transparent in the world, especially since the 2014 coup d’état.</p> <p>According to the 2015&nbsp;<a href="http://government.defenceindex.org/countries/thailand/">Government Defence Anti-Corruption Index (GI)</a>&nbsp;compiled by Transparency International, Thailand’s defence spending is graded ‘E’ in an index with grades ranging from ‘A’ for best practice to ‘F’ for the worst. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Thai police have announced that they have not yet proceeded to investigate allegations of graft in the construction of the military’s royal theme park, saying that no one has so far filed a case.</p> <p>On Wednesday, 11 November 2015, Pol Maj Gen Piyapan Pingmuang, Deputy Spokesperson of the Royal Thai Police, told the media that the police have not yet summoned Gen Udomdej Sitabutr, the current Deputy Defence Minister and former Army Commander-in-chief, for interrogation on corruption in the construction of Rajabhakti Park.</p>

<p>The Thai military government has agreed to amend the Town Planning Act to deregulate industries in city areas. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Atchaka Sriboonruang, Minister of Industry, on Tuesday, 10 November 2015, revealed that the Cabinet has given the green light to the Ministry to amend the 1975 Town and City Planning Act to be more ‘flexible’ in order to facilitate industry.</p>

<p>The Thai junta leader invoked Section 44 of the Interim Charter, which gives the military government nearly absolute power, to appoint a new Social Security Office committee amid concerns from labour groups.</p> <p>Wilaiwan Saetia, Vice President of the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee, told Prachatai in an interview that she is concerned about the recent move of the military government to appoint new board members to the Social Security Committee and its subcommittees.</p>