<div>Under the junta government, the peace talks idea is on the table again. The insurgent groups founded MARA, an umbrella organization to represent the movement in the talks. 2 unofficial meetings have been held in Malaysia. MARA has revealed important demands as a prerequisite before the real peace talks can continue. &nbsp;</div> <p></p>

<div>To the filmmaker, Latitude No. 6 is just a line on a map, that when sliced, offers some pretty shots. Pretty shots are as deep as it goes, and the truth about the conflict is just covered up with 120 minutes of cringe-worthy, cheesy fluff and cardboard dialogue.&nbsp;</div> <p></p>

<p>A Key PULO member talks about his 18 years behind bars, during which he helped to further peace talks.</p> <p></p>

<div><em>The latest round of peace talks has just started in early June in Kuala Lumpur -- quietly. The talks were reportedly initiated and supported by Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, the junta leader, himself.&nbsp;Srisompob Jitpiromsri, a renowned academic and authority on the Deep South conflict discusses the prospect of the talks under the military regime.</em></div> <p></p>

<div>Since the coup on 22 May 2014, about a hundred pro-democracy activists have fled the country because they may end up in jails due to political charges. Aum Neko, a provocative transgender activist, fled to France after the coup and is beginning her new life. Aum tells about her long-term plan abraod and how she will continue to campaign for the Thai democracy.&nbsp;</div> <p></p>

<p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a0ce0b52-7136-9370-b12c-3edcd75b46d4">The Prevention and Suppression of Temptations to Dangerous Behaviors which will ban specific kinds of pornography in a bid to increase efficiency in suppression, potentially paves way for a ban of group sex, and BDSM, in the name of public morals. The bill also poses a great threat to media freedom as it not only broadly defines a wide range of media content deemed inappropriate, it also adopts the notorious article of the Computer Crime Act which indiscriminately holds internet intermediaries liable for all pornographic/violent materials without safe harbour.</span></p> <p></p>

<p dir="ltr">This may be the first play attended at every show by Thai military officers. Not that the Thai military is impressed with the play, but because its content touches on the climate of fear, imposed superficial Thainess, and lèse majesté prisoners. The presence of the military officers, who were assigned to record the performance and audience every night, merely reinforces the message in the restaged Bang-La-Merd: the Land I Do Not Own. It sounds surreal but true that Ornanong Thaisriwong, the director and solo actress in the play, stages a performance about the climate of fear while being watched and taped by real military officers.</p> <p></p>

<div> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-b104fa98-391e-be25-1ca2-d0b82806f045">Amnesty International &nbsp;(AI) Thailand on Thursday announced the 2014 human rights media awards for the Thai media. Prachatai English’s news story received an honourable mention in the online media category.&nbsp;</span></p> </div>

<div>Throughout Thai history, state officials, especially police and army officers, who perpetrated torture and enforced disappearances, have never been punished and have never admitted their crimes. This year a bill against the 2 crimes was completed which has been praised by experts. However, under the military junta regime, which itself is a threat to human rights, one must be very sceptical about the bill really being passed into law.&nbsp;</div> <p></p>

<div> <div>Two years after the abduction of the prominent, internationally acclaimed Lao development worker Sombath Somphone by Lao state agents, the Lao government has done very little to find the truth, experts say. Meanwhile, the disappearance and lack of justice has effectively created a climate of fear which has worsened the human rights situation in Laos.&nbsp;</div> </div>

<div>On the occasion of International Human Rights Day on 10 December, the French Embassy in Bangkok will present an award to the anti-coup Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, which is one of a few organization providing legal assistance to those affected by the 2014 military coup d’état, and suspects facing lèse-majesté charges&nbsp;.&nbsp;</div> <p></p>

<div> <div>Different from the anti-coup movement in May and June, the latest anti-coup wave is from frustration than reaction. The frustration mainly comes from the junta's strict censorship policy which applies equally to all groups -- even on people who originally supported the coup.&nbsp;</div> <div> </div></div>