<p>On 12 January 2010, the Thai News Agency reported that the Prime Minister ordered the establishment of an Advisory Committee on National Security Cases Involving the Monarchy, with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice as chair. The Committee has the responsibility of advising the police, DSI and ICT Ministry on the careful, appropriate and fair conduct of lèse majesté cases</p>
<p>Readers have sent e-mails to <a href="http://smbuyer.consumerthai.org/">Smart Buy magazine</a>, criticizing a column written by a dentist who talks of Da Torpedo’s molar abscess as bad karma resulting from speaking ill of the monarchy.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.taksin-voice.com/">A red-shirt magazine</a> issued during the New Year has a feature article about Thaksin and King Taksin, who rescued Siam from the Burmese over 200 hundred years ago. ASTV-Manager finds this a serious affront to the current dynasty.</p>
<p>Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul was visited by her brother and a group of activists on the last day of the year allowed by the prison for visiting inmates.</p>
<p>GENEVA – Two independent experts of the UN Human Rights Council -the Special Rapporteur on torture, Manfred Nowak, and the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Jorge A. Bustamante- expressed their grave concern at reports that the forcible return of large numbers of Hmong from Thailand to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic is on-going despite numerous international protests. </p>
<p>In a 30 Dec ASTV Manager report, Suriyasai Katasila, Secretary-General of the New Politics Party, said that 2010 would be a turning point for Thailand when Thaksin Shinawatra will collaborate with leftists to overthrow the current regime and establish a new one.</p>
<p>Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told police that their priority was to protect the monarchy, while Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban raised Prachatai as an example of a subversive website to be tackled.</p>
<p>A group of activists who plan to visit Da Torpedo in prison on 30 Dec invite the media and interested persons to join them. </p>
<p>For over two months, former Triumph workers have rallied at the Ministry of Labour, despite the ministry’s threats to remove them from its premises. Two of their leaders have returned from a campaign trip in Europe. </p>
<p>On 24 Dec, Phairoj Pholphet, Chair of the NGO Coordinating Committee, led a group of NGO workers and members of people’s organizations petitioned the Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation to adopt the case of the shooting of an NGO worker in Songkhla.</p>
<p>Angkhana Neelaphaijit sent an open letter to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, urging him to work on the case of her husband’s disappearance, where no progress has been seen during his one year in office. She also called attention to the disappearance of an important witness and the safety of the witness’s family.</p>
<p>The Labour Court in Samut Prakarn dismissed a case of unfair layoff filed by former Triumph workers against Body Fashion (Thailand) Co. The workers, however, will continue their fight, and sell their own ‘Try Arm’ underwear at their rallies, while two of their leaders are running a campaign in Europe to pressure Triumph headquarters.</p>