<p>BANGKOK - The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) expresses grave concern over the filing of a lese majeste complaint against the board of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT),<br />
and stresses that the development once again underscores the persistent and continuing threat that lese majeste provisions in Thailand's criminal law pose against press freedom and free expression in Thailand.</p>
By FORUM-ASIA |
<p>The two human rights defenders, Lin Jia Fan, President of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR) and Lee Min Tsung, Vice-Chairperson of Amnesty International (AI) Taiwan, were recently charged for allegedly violating the Parade and Assembly Law during peaceful demonstrations held last November 2008.</p>
<p>After many members of Triumph International (Thailand) Labour Union had heard rumours that workers may be dismissed, and also that Triumph International factories in other countries have been temporarily shut down, the Human Resources Manager of Body Fashion (Thailand) Ltd., Mr. Prayoon Wonglek, has just notified workers today that Saturday and Sunday, 26 and 27 June, are special holidays, so they don’t have to come to work because of the reduced quantity of work. Workers will still get their wages as usual. Workers are to return to work on 29 June.</p>
<p>In response to the press query regarding Amnesty International’s press release regarding the trial of Darunee Charnchoengsilpakul, Mr. Thani Thongphakdi, Acting Director-General of Information Department and Foreign Ministry Spokesman, said on 26 June 2009 that the trial on this case like any other cases before the court has been in accordance with the process of law.</p>
<p>On June 26, the Office of the Attorney-General again postponed a decision on whether to prosecute Chiranuch Premchaiporn who has been charged for allowing comments offensive to the monarchy to be posted on the Prachatai webboard.</p>
<p>The prosecution has ordered the police to conduct further investigations and told Chiranuch to report again on July 29.</p>
<p>On June 25, Daranee Charncherngsilapakul’s lawyer requested the Court to seek a Constitutional Court ruling on whether the Court’s decision to hold the trial in secret is constitutional or not, and temporarily suspend the trial until the Constitutional Court gives its ruling.</p>
<p>With the practice of torture rampant across Asia, it remains one of the most serious obstacles to social health. To battle this injustice, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) announced today its plan to launch a year-long campaign to lobby for the criminalisation of torture in Asian countries, starting June 26. This will correlate with the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.</p>
<p>Daranee Charncherngsilpakul, aka ‘Da Torpedo’, who has been accused of lèse majesté and held in prison without bail since 22 July 2008, will face her first trial in court on June 23, and trials in her other two cases in which she is accused of leading protesters to surround ASTV and insulting coup leader Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr will follow.</p>
<p>Prachatai talked to her lawyer Prawase Praphanukul who agreed to take the case despite their different political stance.</p>
<p>On the occasion of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s 64th birthday that falls on 19th June 2009, we, the undersigned reiterate our call for the immediate and unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Burma.</p>
<p>Despite its wrong caption, <a href="http://www.thairath.co.th/today/view/12919">Thai Rath</a>’s photo of a former PAD guard grabbing the hair of a red-shirt woman and dragging her along the road during the military crackdown in April has won the Best Photo of the Year Award from the Mass Media Photographers Association of Thailand (MPA). The MPA President explained it won because it is so vividly emotional that no description is necessary. Abhisit will preside over the ceremony on June 18.</p>
<p>On May 29, social critic <a href="http://www.sulak-sivaraksa.org/th/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2290047&Itemid=1">Sulak Sivaraksa</a> sent a letter to the HM the King’s Principal Private Secretary, asking him to look into the case of nominated human rights commissioner Parinya Sirisarakarn, owner of a salt mining business in Nakhon Ratchasima which has been the subject of complaints about its impact on the livelihoods of local communities.</p>
<p>On June 10, Thanapol Ewsakul, editor of Fah Diew Kan magazine and owner of <a href="http://www.sameskybooks.org/">www.sameskybooks.org</a>, gave testimony at the Crime Suppression Division to police and public prosecutors as a witness for alleged offences on web-boards.</p>