<p>Crowd control police may look more formidable than ever as the Royal Thai Police has just spent 350 million baht on crowd control equipment. But their fate remains unsettled as 24 of them experienced unusual diarrhoea on 11 May when Parit Chiwarak and Chaiamorn Kaewwiboonpan were released.</p>

<p>The Criminal Court has approved bail requests for activist Parit Chiwarak and singer Chaiamorn Kaewwiboonpan. The request for Panupong Jadnok was delayed until the next Covid-19 test is declared.</p>

<p>One day ahead of a court ruling on the temporary release of 3 famous pro-democracy protesters detained on royal defamation charges, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/naksit.org/photos/a.559642024104300/3919357344799401/">Human Rights Lawyers Association</a> (HRLA) has urged the Office of the Judicial Commission to look into 3 questionable points which may involve the courts in political conflict.</p>

<p>Sureerat Chiwarak, mother of detained student activist Parit &ldquo;Penguin&rdquo; Chiwarak, shaved her head yesterday (30 April) to protest against the court&rsquo;s decision to repeatedly deny bail for her son, whose health is reported to be rapidly declining after being on a hunger strike for the past 46 days.</p>

<p>The Criminal Court has once again denied bail for 7 activists detained on royal defamation charges under Section 112, one of whom is Parit Chiwarak, whose health is reported to be rapidly declining due to his hunger strike.</p>

<p>Following reports of visits to detained student activists Parit Chiwarak and Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, and reports that&nbsp;Parit has been on a hunger strike to demand the right to temporary release or the right to bail since 15 March 2021, and his health has become so frail that he is pale and blood was found in his stools, Amnesty International calls for the Thai authorities to release and drop charges against the activists.</p>

<p>Chukiat &lsquo;Justin&rsquo; Sangwong, a leading figure in the Thai pro-democracy protests, has tested positive for Covid-19 while in detention as a suspect under the lèse majesté law, the Department of Corrections confirmed on 24 April.</p>

<p>Four people currently facing royal defamation charges and detained pending trial have been granted bail: activists Jatupat Boonpattararaksa and Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, and two other people who were previously detained at prisons in Chiang Mai.</p>

<p>Scholars At Risk (SAR) called on the Thai authorities for the immediate release of three detained students activists and for all charges against them to be dropped.&nbsp;</p>

<p>MP Rangsiman Rome of the Move Forward party&nbsp;is working to have a parliamentary committee call President of the Supreme Court Methinee Chalothorn to a hearing over the illegitimate detention of activists.</p>