<p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-676da526-07e3-52a3-d645-1bef4595a542">The criminal court on Wednesday sentenced the parents of the former royal consort for making false claims about the Crown Prince, among other charges, to five years in jail, but since the defendants pleaded guilty the jail term was halved,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://manager.co.th/Crime/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9580000028609">ASTV-Manager Online</a>&nbsp;reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The prosecutor has indicted the parents of the former royal consort for lèse majesté and objected to bail for the couple, citing the severity of the charges, according to Matichon Online.</p> <p>The prosecutor at Ratchada Criminal Court in Bangkok on Tuesday indicted Abhiruj Suwadee, 72, and Wantanee Suwadee, 66, the parents of Srirasmi Suwadee, former Royal Consort of Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, of offences under Article 112 or the lèse majesté law, for filing a false police complaint, and for framing another, which led to the person serving a term in jail.</p>

<div> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-43f0d991-07e4-2e78-d909-e74336ec7f5b">Thailand’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday criticized the junta’s Public Assembly Bill as contradicting the principle of rights.&nbsp;</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-43f0d991-07e4-2e78-d909-e74336ec7f5b">Although academics and activists have voiced criticism of the bill, it is pending the second reading, by the rubber-stamp National Legislative Assembly (NLA).</span></p> </div>

<p>A Cambodian academic says the derailment of democracy and coming to power of the junta regime in Thailand sets a bad example for other ASEAN countries.</p>

<div> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-5f757669-fdf8-604b-57b3-8555cda0a698">A programmer suspected of lèse majesté has denied the charges, saying that a copycat Facebook account falsely used his photo as profile picture and defamed the King, according to&nbsp;</span><a href="http://freedom.ilaw.or.th/en/case/645">iLaw</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-5f757669-fdf8-604b-57b3-8555cda0a698">Piya J., a programmer, on Monday denied the lèse majesté allegations against him during the deposition hearing at Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court. &nbsp;</span></p> </div>

<p>Activists rallied for women’s rights and an end to military rule on International Women’s Day, pointing out that the rights of both women and men have been suspended under the junta regime.</p> <p>Anti-junta activists and others staged a rally from the 14 October Memorial to the Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue in central Bangkok on Sunday afternoon, International Women’s Day, in a ‘Wearing Sarongs and Aiming for Elections’ campaign.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7598/16568532870_3411207b60_z.jpg" /></p>

<p>Police in southern Thailand accepted a lèse majesté complaint filed against two Facebook users for allegedly posting messages defaming the monarchy on a red-shirt radio host’s Facebook profile.</p> <p>Lt Col Jongserm Preecha, an inquiry officer at Kathu Police Station in the southern province of Phuket on Saturday accepted a lèse majesté complaint filed against two individuals known by their Facebook names as Chaida Bunyothin and Parichat Klinsrisuk. The complaint was filed by Siharat Thinkhaonoi.</p>

<div> <div>Military officers tried to cancel a media workshop in the restive deep south, claiming that they were ordered to do so by their superiors. </div></div>

<p>UN Human Rights High Commissioner has urged the Thai junta to respect freedom of expression to ensure open discussion during the drafting of constitution.&nbsp;</p> <p>Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, on Thursday pointed out his concerns on the imposition of the martial law, which has given to the military the power to crack down on political dissent and opposition.</p>

<p>The military sent police officers to interrogate a university lecturer suspected of hanging an anti-junta banner.</p> <p>Two police officers came to Mahasarakham University in the northeastern province of Maha Sarakham at around 5 pm on Thursday to interrogate Vinai Poncharoen, a lecturer at the Political Science Faculty of the university, at his office after he posted a picture of an anti-junta banner with the message “Down with dictatorship, democracy will triumph” on his Facebook page on Wednesday.</p>

<p>The military forced a public seminar on martial law in northern Thailand to be cancelled due to its sensitive political content. &nbsp;</p> <p>Military officers from the 3rd Army in the northern province of Chiang Mai on Wednesday contacted the organizers of a public seminar entitled “Directions of Civil Society Organisations under the National Council of Peace and Order (NCPO)” to cancel the seminar.</p> <p>The military claimed that they are concerned because the seminar was related to the political situation under the junta’s NCPO as the seminar title suggested.</p>

<p>Despite the junta’s crackdowns on political dissent and the imposition of the martial law, the Thai Foreign Minister said at a UN human rights meeting that Thailand has given much importance to human rights in its attempt to maintain national security.</p> <p>Gen Thanasak Patimaprakorn, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, who represented Thailand at the 28th United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on 4 March 2015, said before the meeting that Thailand paid attention to human rights, which apply to everyone equally. &nbsp;</p>