<p dir="ltr">Media and civil society organisations launched a new website to allow people to have their say in the new constitutional draft while pointing out that the state agencies responsible in drafting the new charter has failed.</p>

<p>Politicians, labour unionists, academics, and others are urging the Thai junta to hold a public referendum on the draft constitution, pointing out that the people have the highest authority to determine the constitution.</p>

<p>Thailand’s lawmakers gave a final approval on 1 May to a bill regulating public assemblies, which will create petty hindrances to public demonstrations. &nbsp;</p> <p>According to the&nbsp;<a href="http://breakingnews.nationtv.tv/home/read.php?newsid=757617">Nation Breaking News</a>, the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Friday completed the third reading on the<a href="http://www.prachatai.org/english/node/4827">&nbsp;Public Assembly Bill</a>.</p>

<p>The military have forced the cancellation of a Labour Day rally organised by workers in Chiang Mai, citing the continuing volatility of the political situation. &nbsp;</p>

<p>After the state broadcasting agency abruptly ordered a red-shirt TV off air on Thursday night, the station issued a statement against the order, saying that it was partial and motivated by politics.</p>

<p>The Military Court granted bail for the first time by temporarily releasing a seven-months pregnant suspect in bombing of the Criminal Court.</p> <p>The Military Court of Bangkok on Thursday afternoon granted bail to Tatchapan Pokkrong, the 19-year-old wife of Yuttana Yenpinyo, one of the suspects in the bomb attack on the Criminal Court in early March.</p> <p>Tatchapan is so far the only suspect in the case to have been granted bail.</p>

<p>Thai authorities have issued an order to shut down immediately a TV station affiliated with the anti-establishment red shirts. &nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Jatuporn.UDD/photos/a.487524008026365.1073741828.487512048027561/678275055617925/?type=1">Jatuporn Prompan</a>, one of the key leaders of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), a red-shirt group, posted on his Facebook profile on Thursday evening that the authorities issued an order to immediately stop Peace TV, a TV station affiliated with the UDD, from being broadcast. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>Workers in Thailand’s textile industry called for higher wages and labour rights while condemning the military regime.</p> <p>The Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation of Thailand (TWF) issued a statement on Thursday to demand that the government increase the minimum wage from 300 baht to 421 baht per day (from about 9.1 to 13 USD per day) and to hold elections as soon as possible.</p>

<p>Deputy Prime Minister Visanu Krue-ngam says that only the cabinet and the junta have the authority to decide whether a public referendum on the draft constitution should be held.</p>

<p>The Criminal Court ruled that no evidence can indicate who was responsible for the deaths of a Japanese cameraman and two red shirts who died during violence in April-May 2010.</p> <p>Bangkok’s Southern Criminal Court on Thursday morning started another trial concerning the deaths of Hiroyuki Muramoto, a Reuters cameraman, and Wasan Phutai, and Todsachai Maekngamfa, two anti-establishment red-shirt protesters, who were shot dead during the violent military crackdown on red-shirt protests on 10 April 2010.</p>

<p>The Thai military abruptly stormed into a TV station affiliated with anti-establishment red shirts to shut down a TV programme deemed sensitive to national security.</p>

<p>The student organisations of Thammasat University united forces to demand that the Thai authorities put off the university privatisation bill, saying that more public participation is needed. &nbsp;</p> <p>The student council and organisations from various faculties of Thammasat University on Wednesday afternoon issued a joint statement to urge the junta’s National Legislative Assembly (NLA) to postpone the final reading of the bill to privatise Thammasat university.</p> <p>According to the initial plan, the bill will be reviewed by the NLA for the last time on 7 May.</p>