The Criminal Court has dismissed a defamation by publication charge filed against activist Sirawit Serithiwat for a speech criticizing the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) during a protest in March 2019.

Activist Sirawit Serithiwat was indicted on Monday (18 November) on a charge of defamation by publication for a speech given at a protest in March 2019 demanding impeachment of the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) for mishandling the 2019 general election. The indictment came 5 years after the charge was filed.

<p>On the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the student activist group Spring Movement and Amnesty International Thailand organized the &ldquo;Separation/(Silence)&rdquo; exhibition at the 14 October Memorial in memory of victims of enforced disappearances in Thailand.</p>

<p>While Prachatai English joins other public figures in demanding an end to violence against activists, and calling on the police to take more effective measures to halt the impunity, we are more concerned with an issue often underestimated: hate speech that justifies assaults against activists.</p>

<p>Thai&nbsp;authorities should urgently and impartially investigate assaults on three prominent pro-democracy activists since May 2019, <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/06/04/thailand-3-junta-critics-assaulted-past-month">Human Rights Watch</a> said last week. Thai police have yet to arrest any suspects for the violent attacks, raising serious concerns about possible government involvement.</p>

<div> <div>The junta is pressing sedition and traffic obstruction charges against 57 people who joined last weekend’s protest calling for general elections.</div> <div> </div> <div>On 30 March 2018, Col Burin Thongprapai, acting on behalf of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), filed charges against 57 participants in the protest at the Royal Thai Army, which called on the military to stop supporting the junta. </div></div>