<p>The Thai junta issued a new order to establish a committee to cooperate with foreign experts on democratic development while still prohibiting criticism of the new draft constitution.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1429185873&amp;section=00">Khaosod English</a>: A commander of the Thai army has admitted that a military intelligence unit mistakenly identified a summer lesson at an Islamic school in the southern province of Pattani as a terrorist conference.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Thai junta expressed reluctance about holding a public referendum for the new draft constitution, saying that it could lead to confrontations and political trouble. &nbsp;</p> <p>According to the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tnamcot.com/163736">Thai News Agency</a>, Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd, the deputy spokesperson of the Prime Minister’s Officer, on Thursday told the media that the government has to weigh the decision whether to hold a public referendum on the draft constitution carefully because it might stir up political turmoil. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The Thai junta has issued a new order to expand the definition of ‘Assistant Peace-keeping Officer’ and the authority to appoint Peace-keeping Officers and Assistant Peace-keeping Officers. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1429091216&amp;section=11">Khaosod English</a>: The chairman of Thailand's interim parliament has expressed concern that the new charter will not pass a referendum vote if the Thai people are not properly informed about its new features.</p> <p>"If the people still don't understand the contents of the constitution draft in a clear manner, and if there is referendum, the draft certainly will not pass," Thianchay Kiranandana, chairman of the National Reform Council (NRC), said yesterday.</p>

<p>Sakon Nakhon Provincial Court has handed jail terms to four villagers accused of encroachment and is putting 29 others on trial on the same charge. &nbsp;</p> <p>According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/lawyercenter2014/posts/817424194974103?notif_t=notify_me">Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR)</a>, the Provincial Court of Sakon Nakhon in Thailand’s Northeast, in January sentenced four villagers from Ban Chat Rabiap community in Phu Phan District to prison for encroaching on protected areas.</p>

<p>Thai authorities have shut down two satellite TV stations affiliated with the anti-establishment red shirts for seven days in the name of national security.</p>

<p>Students of the largest university in Thailand’s Northeast put up banners against the junta’s university privatisation plan. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>About 10 students of Khon Kaen University of the northeastern at around 4pm on Thursday held banners with messages reading “Opposing university privatisation = Opposing the coup d’état” and “President + National Legislative Assembly (NLA) + coup d’état = university privatisation” in front of the Food and Service Centre on the university campus.</p>

<p>A senior statesman of Thailand has advised that ‘Thai identity’ could be used as a solution to the problems and conflicts of the Muslim south.</p> <p>Gen Prem Tinsulanonda, a national statesman and President of the Privy Council, the King’s advisory body, on Thursday opened the 23rd forum of the ‘San Jai Thai su Jai Tai’ (Uniting Thai hearts to the hearts in the south) programme at the Thai Army Club in Bangkok.</p>

<p>The Thai military ordered relatives of red shirts who were killed during the April-May 2010 military crackdown on the red shirt protest to cancel a Buddhist ceremony to mourn the victims, claiming that the event could carry political connotations.</p> <p>On Thursday afternoon, military officers stormed into Wat Kerdkan Udom in Khlong Luang District of Pathum Thani Province, north of Bangkok, and forced relatives of the anti-establishment red shirts who were killed during the April-May 2010 political violence to cancel a Buddhist ceremony to mourn the deaths.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1428501696&amp;section=11">Khaosod English</a>: Thailand’s military junta issued an order on Wednesday evening granting Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha and his Cabinet members the power to request military assistance with law enforcement.</p>

<p>A student in Thailand’s Northeast has displayed a banner and distributed leaflets against university privatisation.</p> <p>A student of Khon Kaen University, the largest university of the northeastern region of Thailand, at around 4 pm on 8 April hung a banner with a message reading “Khon Kaen University Company President-(Dictator) Ltd” from the top floor of the Food and Service Centre on the university campus.</p> <p>The student also distributed leaflets identifying four main reasons why the university should not be privatised.</p>