<p>With less than four weeks to go before the election, expectations are high and there are deep concerns about post-electoral prospects. The Nation's Pravit Rojanaphruk talks to political scientist Kengkij Kitirianglarp from Kasetsart University's Department of History about his expectations, fears and more. Kengkij is a rising star among young Thai political scientists and a self-professed red shirt. Excerpts.</p>

<p>At 15.00 today, Mr. Chalee Diyu and Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF), submit an argument against the appeal motion submitted by the Immigration Bureau to the Court regarding the unlawful detention of Mr. Chalee Diyu, a Burmese migrant worker, while he still hold valid work permit and that the chaining of Mr. Chalee to his hospital bed is a violation of human dignity. Earlier, after receiving the request for review of the lawfulness the detention, the South Bangkok Criminal Court ordered the release of Mr. Chalee and ordered the Immigration Bureau to pay compensation to Mr.</p>

<p>Over the past two years as Prime Minister, I have been trying to keep you informed to elicit your participation and help you to understand my mission. Nonetheless, I have tried to avoid touching on political events which are highly sensitive as I do not want to exacerbate the current strife. But as misinformation has been spread by some media, I feel the urge to write this record for the benefit of all of you who are very soon going to decide the fate of this country.</p>

<p>The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) will begin deploying a team of election observers from countries across Asia and beyond. At a press conference held at 2:00pm on the 6th, ANFREL&rsquo;s team explained the structure and methodology of its observation effort and detailed the areas where ANFREL had concerns about the upcoming General Elections in Thailand.</p>

<p>Thank you, Mr. President. FORUM-ASIA expresses its deep regret at the increasing attacks against cyber dissidents and other Internet users in many Asian countries where governments continue to seek arbitrary interpretation of article 19(3) of the ICCPR, thereby severely circumscribing freedom of opinion and expression on the Internet.</p>

<p>In May 2011, the government of Thailand announced that the country would go to a national election on July 3. It might have been expected that this announcement would result in a lessening of the threats against, and arrests of, persons trying to exercise free speech. In fact, the opposite is the case. Since the announcement over three weeks ago, the government seems to have gone into overdrive in its efforts to criminalize free speech, shutting down radio stations and ordering the arrest of dissident voices on the pretext that they are anti-royalist.</p>

<p>It is incumbent that the US government support US citizen Joe W. Gordon who has recently been arrested on multiple charges in Thailand, the country of his birth.</p>

<p>Residents and long-time expats who have watched the latest Hollywood comedy &quot;Hangover Part II&quot;, which was mostly shot in Bangkok, may wonder how accurate the depiction of their city was.</p>

<p>&nbsp;In the past few years, politics has aggressively intruded into Thailand&rsquo;s academic community, compelling scholars to defend themselves and to protect their integrity in the face of virulent measures endorsed by the Thai government.</p>

<p>Victims must be healed, those behind April-May crackdown brought to justice: panel chief</p> <p>National reconciliation will not last if the truth about what happened last April and May is not accompanied by judicial impartiality, democratic political structure, civilian supremacy over the military and freedom of expression, a panel on post-electoral reconciliation concluded yesterday.</p>

<p>&nbsp;THE HAGUE, 31 May 2011. The public hearings on the Request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by the Kingdom of Cambodia to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case concerning the Request for Interpretation of the Judgment of 15 June 1962 in the Case concerning the Temple of Preah Vihear (Cambodia v. Thailand) (Cambodia v. Thailand) were concluded today at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court. The Court will now begin its deliberation.</p>

<p>A Thai-born dual Thai-US citizen and passport holder was arrested and detained without bail on Thursday for allegedly putting up a computer link to the content of the banned book &quot;The King Never Smiles&quot; on his blog.</p>