By Santiprachatham |
<p>Amid political conflicts which have increasingly grown intense since the coup in 2006, people who hold differing political views from the powers that be have been subject to ever more threats to their rights and freedoms. The threat has also extended to academia, with Assoc Prof Dr Somsak Jeamtheerasakul being the latest victim, as a result of his expression of opinions about the role and status of the monarchy in Thai society in several academic forums. </p>
<p>Somsak Jeamtheerasakul, a staunch critic of the monarchy, has been threatened with lese majeste charges. He and other academics will hold a press conference tomorrow at Thammasat University.</p>
<p>A new computer law has been drafted and sent to the cabinet on 20 April for consideration. <a href="http://ilaw.or.th/">iLaw</a>, an organization which promotes public participation in the formulation and amendment of laws, has urged the public to stop this new version of the law.</p>
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<p>Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij has written a short note on his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/korn-chatikavanij/truth-today/10150155324549730">Facebook page</a> about his conversation with a red-shirt taxi driver.</p>
<p>On 6 April, Newin Chidchob, de facto leader of the Bhumjai Thai Party, set off a ‘caravan of cars’ to distribute 1.5 million photographs of the King to the Thai people across the country.</p>
<p>On 5 April, Army Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha, together with Thewin Wongwanich of the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) and well-known painter Chalermchai Khositphiphat, held a press conference on ‘Love Songs of the Land’, an event to be organized from April to August to allow people to show their loyalty to Their Majesties the King and Queen who had long worked for the good of the Thai people. </p>
<p>HRH Princess Chulabhorn has given an interview to a television programme ‘Woody Born to Talk’ on Channel 9. Here are some excerpts from the first part of the interview which was aired on 3 April. The second part is scheduled for next Sunday. The host of the show is Wuthithorn Milinthajinda, or Woody.</p>
<p>During his party’s seminar on Koh Samui, Deputy Prime Minister and Democrat Party Secretary-General Suthep Thaugsuban called on the people to help protect the monarchy to prevent civil war.</p>
<p>The 1st Army Commander has launched a programme entitled ‘Thais Protect the Land’ to organize the people to fight threats against the monarchy.</p>
<p>On 3 April, hundreds of red shirts attended the funeral of Therdsak Fungklinchan who had been killed during a clash with the military at Khok Wua intersection on 10 April last year.</p>
By Democracy Networks |
<p>About 35 democratic groups in Thailand and abroad have aggregated to set up Democracy Networks (DNs) to launch campaigns and activities to call for the cancellation of Article 112 and the freeing of 220 Thai prisoners who have been charged under the lèse majestè law. A seminar and operational plan meeting was organized on April 3, 2011 to exchange knowledge and information about Article 112 and brainstorm to formulate an action plan. </p>
<p class="rteleft">On 27 Mar, immediately after the public forum held by Nitirassadorn, the group of Thammasat law lecturers, to propose amendments to the lèse majesté law, a group of activists launched a public awareness campaign to call on Thai society to open up discussion and debate about the law.</p>