<p>Paris, 1 September 2011 - Major trauma and worldwide geopolitical turmoil, 9/11 was also the beginning of a downward spiral in rights and freedoms. Many countries, including the democratic ones, starting with the United States and the United Kingdom immediately reacted to the attacks in New York by adopting special laws that roundly ignored human freedoms.</p>

<p>Reporters Without Borders is very worried about Chiranuch Premchaiporn, the head of the news website Prachatai, whose trial in connection with comments posted on her site resumes today. Also known as Jiew, she is charged under articles 14 and 15 of the Computer Crimes Act.</p>

<p>Reporters Without Borders is dismayed to learn that a UN-backed special tribunal that is trying former Khmer Rouge leaders for war crimes has started contempt of court proceedings against Voice of America&rsquo;s Khmer-language service for allegedly revealing confidential information about a new case against the Khmer Rouge.</p>

<p>The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) welcomes the efforts of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, Tom&aacute;s Ojea Quintana, to ensure that justice and accountability measures are introduced to address human rights violations and build peace in Myanmar. We call on the European Union and ASEAN to support Mr. Quintana&rsquo;s call.</p>

<p>Bangkok, Thailand (September 1, 2011&shy;) &ndash;Today, the Thai AIDS Treatment Action Group (TTAG), the Urban Health Research Initiative (UHRI) of the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (Vancouver, Canada), and Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok, Thailand) released a report, &ldquo;<em>Reducing Drug-Related Harm in Thailand: Evidence and Recommendations from the Mitsampan Community Research Project (MSCRP)</em>.&rdquo; A collaborative effort between the three entities, the report summarizes two years of research findings on HIV risk behaviors and barriers to accessing HIV a</p>

<p>A former security guard who testified to the Criminal Court on the May 19, 2010 arson and death case at CentralWorld told judges yesterday that he had put his signature approving the police statement charging the two defendants without reading the document.</p>

<p>The trial of a well-respected online media editor and human rights activist, Chiranuch Premchaiporn, will resume on 1st Sept 2011 in Bangkok&rsquo;s Criminal Court. Chiranuch is accused of allowing comments deemed offensive to the monarchy to be posted on the online forum she moderates. Tomorrow&rsquo;s trial is a testimony to the dire state of freedom of expression in Thailand. ARTICLE 19 calls for all charges against Chiranuch to be dropped.&nbsp; </p>

<p>As the world marks International Day of the Disappeared today [30 Aug], Reporters Without Borders notes that many countries are still violating international law on this matter, including the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which the UN General Assembly adopted in 2006.</p>

<p>Thai court will resume the witness hearings against Ms. Chiranuch Premchaiporn, charged with l&egrave;se majest&eacute; under the Computer Crimes Act. Chiranuch (Jiew) is a media rights advocate and Executive Director of Prachatai, an independent, online news agency.</p>

<p>Between 30 July and 16 August 2011, eight human rights defenders were arrested by police officers and officials of the Ministry of Public Security, and are currently being held incommunicado at an unknown location. Since their arrests, their fate and whereabouts are unknown. They are affiliated with the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Dong Chua Cuu) and are actively involved in the promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights in Vietnam.</p>

<p><em>A written statement submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), a non-governmental organisation with general consultative status </em></p> <p>The Asian Legal Resource Centre wishes to draw the attention of the Human Rights Council to the systemic persecution of torture victims in Thailand.</p>

<p>A suit was filed on August 24, 2011 against Netfirms, Inc., a Canadian web hosting company incorporated in the United States, for releasing personal information to the Thai government.&nbsp; Netfirms&rsquo; disclosures allowed Thai officials to identify, detain, and interrogate the plaintiff, Mr. Anthony Chai, both in Thailand and on U.S. soil.&nbsp; These disclosures, without which Mr. Chai would have remained anonymous, resulted in the Thai government charging Mr.</p>