<p>Sitanun Satsaksit, sister of missing activist in exile Wanchalearm Satsaksit, has been charged with violation of the Emergency Decree for giving a speech at a protest on 5 September 2021 at the Asoke Intersection.</p>

<p>Three activists filed a complaint with the Civil Court today (5 October) against the Prime Minister and military commander-in-chief, asking the Court to repeal the 15th order under the Emergency Decree, which bans public gatherings, on the grounds that the order is a violation of basic rights and freedoms.</p>

<p>78 people including minors, volunteer medics, and bystanders have been arrested following a clash between protesters and crowd control police on Saturday night (11 September).</p>

<p>The use of force to crack down on protests and arrests of protesters show that the state wants to suppress dissenters and create a climate of fears, says Amnesty International, who calls for the repeal of the Emergency Decree.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha issued on Thursday (29 July) a new order under the Emergency Decree banning distribution of information causing public fear or misinformation.</p>

<p>As Thai authorities imposed strict virus prevention measures in Bangkok and nine provinces from Monday, Amnesty International calls on authorities to use these restrictions solely to address worsening rates of Covid-19 infection and not to&nbsp;arbitrarily or disproportionately penalise individuals for peacefully exercising their rights.</p>

<p>New disease control measures have been announced for Bangkok and the surrounding five provinces, along with four provinces in the Deep South, including&nbsp;including a curfew between 21.00 &ndash; 4.00 and a ban on gatherings of 5 or more people, which will be implemented as of Monday (12 July).</p>

<p>Responding to yesterday&rsquo;s dispersal of peaceful protest in front of the Government House and the police&rsquo;s arbitrary arrest of at least 99 peaceful protesters, Director of Amnesty International Thailand, Piyanut Kotsan said the Emergency Decree is just a blanket justification to stomp on difference of opinion.</p>

<p>The state of emergency declared by the Thai authorities one year ago in an effort to curb the Covid-19 pandemic has been used as an excuse to crack down on fundamental freedoms and should be lifted, say regional lawmakers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>1,063 new cases of Covid-19 were discovered in Samut Sakhon as of Tuesday (22&nbsp;December), while the province has been put under lockdown effective until 3 January.</p>

<p>The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) published a legal briefing on 27 October in response to the implementation of the Emergency Decree in response to the pro-democracy protests, calling for all official use of power during the severe state of emergency to be subjected to a review in court and&nbsp;ensure the affected persons&rsquo; right to access to an effective remedy</p>