<p>Thai webmaster Chiranuch Premchaiporn, facing criminal charges as an intermediary under the Computer Crime Act (CCA), on Wednesday told a court that she had implemented various precautionary measures in trying to prevent unlawful content on her Prachatai web boards.</p>

<p><em>5 Civilians Killed, 118 Wounded in Latest Attack</em></p> <p>(New York, September 21, 2011) &ndash; Alleged insurgents were responsible for detonating three bombs at a nighttime entertainment area in Thailand&rsquo;s southern Narathiwat province that killed five civilians and wounded 118, Human Rights Watch said today. Violence in southern Thailand has claimed the lives of more than 4,700 people in the past seven years.</p>

<p>1st September 2011, 43 years after Thailand signed the International Labour Organisation&rsquo;s Convention (C-19) on the Equality of Treatment (Accident Compensation), the General Secretary of Thailand&rsquo;s State Enterprise Workers Relations Confederation (SERC) submits a petition to the ILO pertaining to the failure of the Royal Thai Government to impose nondiscriminatory practice on migrant workers&rsquo; access to Workmen&rsquo;s compensation Fund (WCF). The RTG proposed the &ldquo;private insurance scheme&rdquo; for migrant workers instead of providing access the WCF.</p>

<p><strong>What did you do five years ago when you heard that another military coup was being staged? Did you support it or were you against it? Or did you just sit by idly?</strong></p>

<p>Freedom House condemns the trial of online media editor and human rights defender Prachatai executive director, Chiranuch (Jiew) Premchaiporn, who is accused of allowing comments deemed critical of the monarchy to be posted on the online forum that she moderates. Freedom House urges the Thai government to drop all charges against her and to immediately amend the country&rsquo;s 2007 Computer Crimes Act (CCA), so that it conforms to international human rights standards.</p>

<p><em>Erik Wendt &amp; Therese Rytter, Rehabilitation &amp; Research Centre for Torture Victims, Denmark</em></p> <p>It is well documented that torture, enforced disappearances and extra-judicial executions are carried out throughout Asia by agents of the state, notably police, military, and special investigation units, who expose ordinary citizens to such heinous crimes in complete disregard of national legislation.</p>

<p>A prosecution witness at Chiranuch Premchaiporn&rsquo;s trial on l&egrave;se-majest&eacute; charges revealed at the latest hearing on 9 September that it was a member of the royal family who alerted the police to the presence of messages criticising the monarchy on her website, Prachatai.</p>

<p><em>48 Facing Persecution Win Hellman/Hammett Grants</em></p> <p>(New York, September 14, 2011) &ndash; Forty-eight writers from 24 countries have received 2011 Hellman/Hammett grants for their commitment to free expression and their courage in the face of persecution, Human Rights Watch said today.</p>

<p><em>Petition to Burmese President Calls for Prisoner Release</em></p> <p>(New York, September 14, 2011) &ndash; The Burmese government should immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners in Burma to demonstrate a genuine commitment to its touted reform process, Human Rights Watch said today. On September 13, 2011, Human Rights Watch sent a petition of more than 3,000 signatures to President Thein Sein from individuals calling for the release of the approximately 2,000 political prisoners in the country.</p>

<p>Nearly everybody knows that a heart symbolizes love and a dove means peace. But what is the symbol for human rights? The answer is that there is none. There are 6.8 billion people living on this planet. All of them have human rights &ndash; and yet we still have no way of overcoming language barriers to communicate this universal bond symbolically. With your help, this could be about to change:</p>

<p>Asian Transnational Corporation (ATNC) Monitoring Network respectfully urges you to make effective protection and promotion of human rights a top priority in your administration. We strongly second the statement dated August 31, 2011, of the 112 scholars who called for action on Article 112 and the 2007 Computer Crimes Act. As the signatories of that statement have noted, domestic and international concern is mounting regarding the inexcusable and high number of cases of political prisoners being kept detained and imprisoned without charge.</p>

<p>On Friday, September 9, ten major international human rights NGOs sent a joint letter raising serious concerns about the draft law on associations and NGOs in Cambodia to the heads of 17 UN agencies, copied to the UN agencies' offices in Cambodia.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p>