<p>At about 00.00 of 15 May 2008, internet users of TOT in the North, Northeast and South reported that their attempts to access &quot;Prachatai&quot; were blocked, and the following message is shown on the screen;</font></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Tahoma">Prachatai called the ICT Ministry through the phone numbers provided on the page telling readers that the web site they were trying to access had been blocked on request of the Communication Authority of Thailand.</span></p>

<p><font size="2"> Olympics: Waving the Tibetan Flag May Bring Untold Consequences for<br /> Athletes, warns IOC</font></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma">In an open letter sent to media professionals and media organizations, Chaiwat Satha-anand, Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University and Ubonrat Siriyuvasak, Faculty of Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University, demand an end to provocative and propagandistic behaviour and call on the media to adhere to their ethics, and the principles of independence, fairness and accountability to the people. The media should stop behaving as mouthpieces for certain interest groups.<span> <br /></span></span></p>

<p><font size="2">The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) welcomes the news that Thailand has given some assistance for the people of Myanmar (Burma) in the aftermath of the cyclone that has devastated the lower part of the country, but strongly feels that far more could be done. <br /></font></p>

<p><font size="2"> The Thai Journalists Association, the Thai Broadcast Journalists<br /> Association and the Confederation of Thai Journalists join the UNESCO<br /> celebration of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, to reaffirm the basic<br /> principles of freedom of the press and freedom of expression. The occasion<br /> aims to create greater public awareness of the importance of media freedom,<br /> which also means freedom of people to be informed.</font></p>

<p><font size="2">Reporters Without Borders and the Burma Media Association call<br /> on the Burmese government to grant visas to foreign journalists who want to<br /> go and cover the aftermath of the cyclone that has devastated the south of<br /> the country and Rangoon. They also call for the lifting of prior censorship<br /> for the Burmese news media.</font></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Tahoma;">On May 2, a public forum was held at Thammasat University to address the controversial issue of the refusal of Chotisak Onsoong and his girlfriend to stand for the royal anthem. The panelists included social critic Sulak Sivarak, historian Suthachai Yimprasert, and reporter Pravit Rojanapreuk, with Thammasat lecturer Kasem Penpinan as the moderator.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Tahoma;">Yet another Thai man has sued Chotisak Onsoong for not standing during the Royal Anthem in a cinema, as well as two websites for allowing discussion about this in their forums.</span></p>

<p>On 23 April 2008, Reporters Without Borders called for the<br />foreign news media to be allowed back immediately into Tibet and nearby<br />provinces with a Tibetan population, where the Chinese authorities have<br />maintained a news blackout and have been conducting a massive propaganda<br />campaign for the past six weeks.</p>

<p>The NUJ is calling on members to write to the Chief Executive of Tesco to condemn a libel action against two Thai journalists and The Guardian. </font></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Tahoma">Those who refuse to stand when the royal anthem is played can be held liable under Articles 6 and 15 of the National Culture Act B.E. 2485 (1942), which refers to Article 6 (3) of the Royal Decree on National Culture B.E. 2485 (1942). <span><br /></span></span></p>