<div><em>Women in the Deep South have used photographs as the creator of a healing environment for the community.</em></div> <p></p>

<div>Symbols are a communication tool which has been used as a part of the expression of opinions. A particular place, such as the Democracy Monument, can be used as a symbol and become the subject of controversy.&nbsp;</div> <p></p>

<div>Despite the risk of being sent to seven years in jail by the military court and harassments from the Thai junta, the 14 embattled anti junta activists, most of them university students, from the Neo Democracy Movement (NDM) still stand firm on their demand for democracy against the Thai military regime.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The 14 are:&nbsp;</div> <div>1 Rangsiman Rome</div> <div>2 Wason Setthasit</div> <div>3 Songtham Kaewpanpruk</div> <div>4 Phayu Boonsopon</div> <div>5 Apiwat Soontararak</div> <div>6 Rattapon Supsopon</div> <div>7 Supachai Phuklongploy</div> <div>8 Abhisit Suebnapa </div>

<p dir="ltr">A new documentary film on the life of a Mexican transgender and her journey to have sex reassignment surgery in Thailand is undoubtedly heart-warming to many; some, however, wonder if it is more of a PR piece to promote Thailand’s thriving plastic surgery industry.</p> <p></p>

<p>On 22 May 2014, the military clique in the name of “National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO)” seized power from the Yingluck Shinawatra government citing as its pretext the incessant violence which has led to massive casualties among people and damage to properties, hence the seizure of the power to stem the destructive causes. &nbsp;</p>

<div><em>In the debt-ridden Northeast, many rice farmers struggle to make ends meet after the government shut off the irrigation systems leaving them without the profits of the second annual rice crop. But for the military government, the drought might help its economic strategy.</em></div> <p></p>

<p>KHON KAEN – In late January, about 250 Northeasterners from six provinces gathered at the conference room of the Petcharat Garden Hotel in Roi Et to participate in the drafting process of Thailand’s twentieth constitution. The military government claims to be seeking citizen participation in drafting the constitution, but these public forums to gather input from Thais across the country seem to be nothing but a false front in the Northeast.</p>

<p>On Thailand’s Children’s Day in January, Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, the Thai junta leader, said in a TV program that ‘knowledge and morality will lead us to the future’. Using the concept of morality as guidance, the junta is striving to make Buddhism a state religion and convincing children to follow the moral guidance of the King and love the nation, religion, and monarchy. The junta is looking to apply its definitions of morality to holders of political posts and civil servants. The junta’s Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) has now laid out plans to create a ‘National Virtue Assembly’, a supra-governmental body which could determine the moral or ethical standards of public officials.</p> <p></p>

<p><em>This week, Patiwat S. was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for lèse majesté because of his role in the play, “The Wolf Bride.” Patiwat is the most recent student to have been imprisoned under the law, and has been an advocate for Isaan peoples’ rights and democracy for years.</em></p> <p>On Monday, the criminal court sentenced Khon Kaen University student Patiwat S. and activist Pornthip M. to five years in jail for their involvement in a satirical play that was deemed “damaging to the monarchy.” The court reduced the sentence by half for their admission of guilt.</p>

<div qowt-divtype="page" qowt-structural="true" style="margin-left:auto;"> <div id="E-7" qowt-divtype="section" qowt-eid="E8" qowt-structural="true"> <p id="E31" qowt-divtype="para" qowt-eid="E31" style="list-style-type:none;"><span id="E32" qowt-eid="E32">It </span><span id="E33" qowt-eid="E33">is </span><span id="E34" qowt-eid="E34">ten years since Prachatai was founded as an alternative media outlet.</span></p> </div></div>

<div> <div>A group of anti-coup activists produced a music video mocking the junta. It said it is aiming at breaking fear created by the military regime. Resistant Citizen, a group composed of activists, academics, human rights workers and lawyers, on Thursday released a music video which makes fun of the military power and the unpromising general election.&nbsp;</div> </div>

<p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3eb0ad1c-5239-cf60-83af-afc1526f2822">Thai police last week arrested six people who were allegedly part of a criminal organization defaming the monarchy on the internet. The group is allegedly led by a self-exiled red-shirt named “Banpodj,” with support of a financier.&nbsp;</span></p>