<p>On July 23, the Chiang Rai Provincial Court sentenced three farmers’ leaders to one year in jail for violating the Highway and Land Traffic Acts, and fined them 200 baht each for advertising with amplifiers without permission. The penalties were commuted by half because they had pleaded guilty.</p>
<p>Triumph workers rallied at the Swiss Embassy in Bangkok, making demands through the embassy to Triumph International whose headquarters is located in Switzerland. After the embassy refused to come out to receive their petition, the workers read out the demands, burned the petition and left.</p>
<div>Since July 17, about 150 farming families have occupied a eucalyptus plantation run by the Forest Industry Organization (FIO) under the Royal Forest Department in Tambon Thung Phra, Khon San District, Chaiyaphum Province in the Northeast. They vow to stay on until the government gives them back their land.</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<p>We, the workers of Triumph International Philippines under the leadership of Bagong Pagkakaisa ng mga Manggagawa sa Triumph International- Independent or New Unity of Workers in Triumph International strongly denounce and resist the injustice of Triumph International Philippines to us.</p>
<p>A confidential letter has been sent to a Prime Minister’s Office Minister, blacklisting websites, community radio stations and cable TV stations. The source of the letter has not been reported.</p>
<p>I understand that your subsidiary Body Fashion (Thailand) has announced plans to lay off 1,930 workers – half the workforce - at its Bangphi plant effective August 31 2009.</p>
<p>This 42nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) will be a milestone for the development of human rights in the region and community building in ASEAN. After 12 months of hard work, the High Level Panel (HLP), the team that was tasked to draft the Terms of Reference (TOR) on the establishment of the ASEAN human rights body (AHRB) will have their meeting tomorrow (18 July 2009) and will submit the draft to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers on the day after.</p>
<div>
<div>1,003 factories have been shut down between 1 Jan and 7 May, putting 84,876 workers out work. Many more factories and workers are likely to meet the same fate, according to the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare.</div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<p>Thai Netizen Network with support from Media Legal Defense Initiative (MLDI) and Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) would like to invite you to a seminar on Cyber-Crime laws: Global perspectives and Legal practice.</p>
<p>The forum will be held by Chulalongkorn's Institute of Security and International Studies. Speakers will include President of the FCCT, Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce (Thailand), representative of JBIC and the Ambassador of Argentina. Details are below for those interested.</p>
By Asian Transnational Corporation Monitoring Network |
<p>The Asian Transnational Corporation Monitoring Network (ATNC) strongly condemns the closure of the Triumph International Philippines factory inside the FTI Complex in Taguig City and the nearby Star Performance Incorporated as well as the layoff of nearly 50% of the workforce in the Body Fashion Thailand (BFT), Triumph International's Thai subsidiary. </p>
<p>(Signatures are being collected in support of the workers in an online petition: <a href="http://gopetition.com/online/29350.html">http://gopetition.com/online/29350.html</a>.)</p>
<p>On July 13, workers rallied at the office of the Board of Investment, saying that the Board’s support for the investment of Body Fashion (<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region>) Co in Nakhon Sawan lost almost 2,000 of their jobs in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan.</p>