<p>Resurgent military authoritarianism has greatly undermined the rule of law and human rights in Thailand, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) said on Monday. </p>

<p><font size="2">Today, Thai civil society mourns the loss of</font> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial">Wanida (Mot) Tantiwittayapitak, who has died after a long illness.&nbsp;Prachatai offers this translation of a poem that she wrote a few years ago as a tribute&nbsp;to a firefly whose light will always inspire.&nbsp; </span></p>

<p>NGOs send a thank you letter to the provincial governor for approving migrant community in hosting cultural activities</p>

<p>The cabinet has declared martial law as of Nov 27 on various areas across the country including several districts in Prachuab Khiri Khan where local people have been fighting against mega-projects including Sahaviriya's planned smelting plant in Bang Saphan and EGAT's coal-fired power project in Thab Sakae. </p>

<p><span>A public seminar was held on 24 November 2007 at the Faculty of Law, Thammasat University, on "Migrant Labour and Racial Discrimination". Jointly organized by Professor Khanueng Ruechai, the Faculty of Law, Thammasat University, the Cross-Cultural Foundation, the Migrant Working Group and Stateless Watch.</span></p>

<p><span>In an interview with </span><span><span>Prachadhrama </span>News, <span><strong>Prof.</strong></span><span> </span><span><strong>Dr. Anand Kanchanaphan, from the Faculty of Social Science, Chiang Mai University</strong></span><span>, one of the academics who have been pushing for the Community Forest Bill together with the people&#39;s sector and who was appointed to the committee to review the law, gave his views on the version of the Community Forest Act endorsed by the NLA. </span></span></p>

<p>In recent weeks, authorities in Thailand have acted to curtail the rights of persons who are among the most vulnerable in society. </p>

<p><span>Sahaviriya Steel Group is set to</span><span> start clearing land for the planned construction of its smelting plant in Prachuab Khiri Khan, while local people and environmentalists are getting prepared for confrontation.</span></p>

<p>An estimated 33.2 million adults and children are living with HIV at the end of 2007, including 2.5 million newly infected. More than two million men, women and children died of AIDS-related complications over the past year, bringing the cumulative number of deaths to more than 20 million.</p>

<p>Local people in Prachuab Khiri Khan gathered to pressure local authorities to halt the giant steel company's site clearance for its planned construction of a smelting plant. The Chair of Mae Ramphueng administrative body finally gave in and revoked the approval he previously gave to allow clearance of the site.</p>

<p><span>Hundreds of southern insurgent suspects detained in military bases for occupational training programmes and banned from returning home by order of the 4</span>^{<span>th</span>}<span> Army Commander, finally came home and met their families after the ban order was lifted.</span></p>