<p>Front Line welcomes the release of human rights defender Mr Sous Chanta on Friday 24 June 2011 following a verdict of&nbsp; the Phnom Penh Court. The decision by the court which was made at 12.00pm on Friday local time convicted Sous Chanta to 10 months imprisonment on the charge of drug distribution. The charge was lowered from drug trafficking to drug distribution for personal use. Given that Sous Chanta was detained prior to the trial for 7 months and 5 days, the remainder of the sentence (2 months 25 days) will be suspended.</p> <p><strong>Further information</strong></p>

<p>The Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova has expressed her deep regret following the declaration of the Thai Minister Suwit Khunkitti during the 35th session of the World Heritage Committee being held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris from 19 to 29 June 2011, on the intention of Thailand to denounce the 1972 World Heritage Convention.</p>

<p>The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) disagrees with the Kelantan state government&rsquo;s decision to bar &quot;Utusan Malaysia&quot; from state assembly proceedings and official functions involving Menteri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat. CIJ views the barring of any media from state events as a suppression of the freedom of the press and an unhealthy precedent.</p>

<p>As we drive down to the village, about 20 minutes from the provincial capital of Udon Thani, 42-year-old Kamsaen, wife of village headman Korngchai Chaikang, complains about allegations that their village is a training site for anti-monarchist armed militants.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Human Rights Organizations urge Thai Government to prevent and eliminate the use of torture by law enforcement officials in Thailand by implementing its obligation under UN Convention Against Torture to criminalize torture as a crime, to take effective measure for witness protection and remedy the victims, and most importantly to develop independent investigation mechanism to end impunity&rdquo;</p>

<p>Call on next government to investigate last year's violence</p> <p>A group of relatives of those killed or injured by the military suppression of red-shirt protesters in April and May of last year issued a statement yesterday calling for the next government to set up a truly impartial and accountable fact-finding committee to determine who were behind the deaths of 92 people in Bangkok.</p>

<p>(Hong Kong, June 26, 2011) On the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Pictures by the Wayside and the Asian Human Rights Commission, present explaining why torture remains a key problem in Asia. The 15 minute video explains why torture is one of the most difficult human rights issues to address, why the continued use of torture plays such a central role in Asian societies, and how it affects victims. The video is online available at</p>

<p>Legacy of Mass Murder, Impunity Still Echoes 30 Years On </p> <p>(New York, June 24, 2011) &ndash; The four Khmer Rouge leaders who go on trial on June 27, 2011, should have been brought to justice decades ago, Human Rights Watch said today. The trial follows years of obstruction by the Cambodian prime minister, Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge commander.</p>

<p>Bangkok, Thailand June 24th, 2011 &ndash; Over 100 harm reduction advocates including members of the civil society network, &ldquo;12-D,&rdquo; which works on Drugs and HIV issues, will present an open letter to the Minister of Public Health, H.E. Mr. Jurin Laksanawisit addressing the need for improved leadership on harm reduction in Thailand.</p>

<p>I did not know what to think as I watched about 5,000 Democrat Party supporters cheering as Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban tearfully declared that he &quot;greatly regrets the deaths [of 92 mostly red-shirt protesters] every day&quot; even though it was the fault of the reds and men in black.</p>

<p>Human rights defender Mr Charles Hector Fernandez is facing trial on 28-29 June 2011 for allegedly defaming Japanese-owned company Asahi Kosei (M) Shd. Bhd in Selangor, Malaysia. As the trial date is nearing, the Court has handed down a decision dated 11 April 2011 which appears to have concluded that that the defendant is guilty. Charles Hector Fernandez is a well-known human rights defender and lawyer who has represented workers and migrants for many years.</p>

<p><span lang="EN-GB">(18 June 2011) For the first time the AIPMC has engaged with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi through teleconference which was held simultaneously in Jakarta and Bangkok. AIPMC MPs who presented were Eva Kusuma Sundari, the current president of the AIPMC, and the former president, Kraisak Choonhavan.</span></p>