<p>Geneva, 03.10.2011: Thailand&rsquo;s human rights record will be reviewed for the first time on 05 October 2011, at the twelfth session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group. ARTICLE 19 urges Thailand to repeal the l&egrave;se-majest&eacute; law - which is increasingly being used to silence critical voices - and for the Computer Crimes Act to be amended to respect the right to freedom of expression.</p>

<p><em>Genuine Reforms Needed Before Considering ASEAN Chairmanship</em></p> <p>(New York, October 4, 2011) &ndash; The first official visit to Burma by Thailand&rsquo;s new prime minister should focus on mutual human rights concerns as well as investment opportunities, Human Rights Watch said today. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will pay a short visit to the Burmese capital Naypyidaw for several hours on October 5, 2011, meeting with Burmese President Thein Sein, but has no plans to see the democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, or ethnic political party leaders.</p>

<p>Two weeks ago, on September 19, as Thailand marked the fifth anniversary of the coup that ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from power, a group of academics, known as the Nitirat group, called a press conference to call for the expunging of all records and judicial decisions originating from the 2006 coup, the drafting of a new charter, as well as the amendment of the controversial lese majeste law by making it less draconian.</p>

<p>The Pheu Thai government should think again if it plans not to investigate and prosecute those who masterminded the deadly crackdown on red shirts in April and May 2010, warned Nattaputt Akahad, younger brother of nurse Kamolkaed Akahad, one of the highest-profile fatalities in last year's clashes.</p>

<p>During the peaceful demonstrations in 2007 which marked Myanmar's 'Saffron Revolution', thousands of monks participated in democratic rallies against the military rule across Myanmar. Despites a government crackdown on internet and mobile links to the outside world, images were shown worldwide of mass arrests and indiscriminate government-violence upon peaceful civilian protesters. </p>

<p>Next week, government, business, and civil society representatives will gather at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Nairobi, Kenya to discuss the future of the global digital space.&nbsp; This gathering takes place against the backdrop of growing restrictions by repressive regimes on online freedoms.&nbsp; The U.S. and European governments have undertaken significant initiatives to respond to these restrictions, but their initiatives are inadequate to stem, let alone reverse, the decline of freedom on the internet.&nbsp; Stronger action is needed.</p>

<p><em>Recommendations of the Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT) towards the policies in bringing reconciliation and solidarity among people in the nation and restoring democracy</em></p>

<p>Insurgents in the long-running internal armed conflict in southern Thailand must immediately stop their campaign of targeting civilians, Amnesty International urged today in a new report.</p>

<p>Oral Statement by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) on the occasion of the consideration of the Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review of Singapore</p>

<p>In a surprising U-turn, Department of Special Investigation chief Tharit Pengdit told Agence France Presse on 17 September that the army was responsible for the fatal shooting of Japanese cameraman Hiroyuki Muramoto during clashes between government forces and &ldquo;Red Shirt&rdquo; protesters in Bangkok on 10 April 2010.</p>

<p>Paris-Jakarta-Bangkok, 21 September 2011. The recent spike in violent incidents in Papua in July and August underscore the urgent need for Jakarta to re-assess its military approach to solve the situation of unrest in the region and to place the respect for human rights at the heart of conflict resolution policies and practices, said the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), the Indonesian Human Rights Monitor (Imparsial) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) today.</p>

<p><em>&ldquo;Prachatai exists to promote human rights&rdquo;</em></p> <p>The judge presiding over the trial of Chiranuch Premchaiporn, webmaster of Thailand&rsquo;s independent online news portal, Prachatai, arrived late to court today [21 Sept]. This gave regular observers, local and international activists, NGOs, media representatives and diplomatic staff great pause for concern.</p>