<p><span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial">Over 100 countries will negotiate the cluster munition treaty in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial">Dublin</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial">,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial">Ireland</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>from 19-30 May 2008. At the negotiations, they will agree to the final language of the treaty. The negotiations will be based on a draft treaty that sets out a comprehensive ban but certain countries are likely to seek exceptions or delays to allow continued use of their own cluster bombs.</span></span></font></p>

<p>The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that two websites were illegally blocked and charged under the Computer Crime Act while twenty nine sites face closure under the same legislation for allowing an open-forum discussion talking about the Thai monarchy.</p> <pre><strong><strong><br /></strong></strong></pre>

<p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma">On 18 May 2008, the Democratic Heroes Foundation together with the Confederation for Democracy held a forum entitled &ldquo;16 years after Black May1992: Anti-Dictatorship Movement toward Democracy&rdquo; at the Rattanakosin hotel, attended by around 400 people. The leader of the Confederation for Democracy held a press briefing in response to remarks made by General Chamlong Srimuang, a leader of the People&rsquo;s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) on 17 May at Santiporn Park.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Tahoma;">Information and Communications Technology Minister Man Pattanothai said that so far internet service providers had not dared to block websites found to have l&egrave;se majest&eacute; content for fear of breaching the National Telecommunications Commission law that forbids blocking information flows, with a maximum penalty of licence revocation.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Tahoma">Cyclone Nagris has caused extensive damage in Burma. <span> </span>According to the latest reports from the official TV news in Burma, at least 78,000 people have died and 56,000 are missing. Estimates from groups concerned with the incident even speculate the death toll could be over one hundred thousand.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma">We,<span style="font-family: Tahoma"> concerned ASEAN Thai NGOs, civil society groups and migrant worker associations</span>, are perturbed by the failure of the Burmese government to provide prompt and immediate response to the victims of cyclone Nargis and the tidal surge, which hit Burma on 3^rd May 2008, and to date, have caused the death of more than 100 thousand persons and has rendered millions of families homeless. A prompt and immediate response would have saved so many lives and prevented unnecessary further sufferings. We cannot accept this government sponsored crimes against humanity.</span></p>

<p><font size="2"> At least 20 websites are being investigated for content deemed to be critical of or offensive to the monarchy. </font><font size="2">A police source at the High-Tech Crime Centre said a list of &quot;inappropriate&quot; websites, compiled about a month ago, has been handed over to the Special Branch Police.</font> </p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><font size="2"> </font> </p>

<p><span>On</span><span> the evening of 14 May 2008, the &quot;</span><span><em>Khao Den Praden Ron</em></span><span>&quot; news programme on FM 96.5 MHz aired a telephone interview with Dr. Man Pattanotai, Minister of Information and Communication Technology concerning reports on the blockage of websites featuring l&egrave;se majest&eacute; messages or images.<span>The following is a transcript</span><span> of the interview concerning the denial of access to certain websites in instructions from the MICT. </span></span></p>

<p>Participants at a defamation seminar hosted by ARTICLE 19 and AJI in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, called on countries in the region to abolish criminal defamation laws and to reform their civil defamation laws to bring them into line with international standards.</p>

<p>Vienna, Austria has been chosen to host the XVIII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2010), the largest international meeting on HIV, where every two years 25,000 participants representing all stakeholders in the global response to HIV meet to assess progress and identify future priorities. </p>

<p><font size="2"> Somsak Khunmi, a long-time news assistant and contributor to Chan Troi Moi (Radio New Horizon) was sentenced today to nine months in prison and three years probation following a six-hour trial today on terrorism charges at the People&#39;s Court of Ho Chi Minh City</font></p>

<p>Over 130 trade unionists, social activists, students and academics have put their names to an open letter condemning the behaviour of <em>The Manager</em> media group.</font></p>