<div>Four of nine suspects in a case related to explosions in Bangkok say they faced torture and ill-treatment during military detention in March. A communist-turned-red-shirt, Sansern Sriounruen is one of the four. He revealed his account of the story, which involves a hunger strike and brutal torture.&nbsp;</div> <p></p>

<p>(New York, March 18, 2015) – The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hrw.org/thailand" target="_blank">Thai</a>&nbsp;military’s warrantless arrest and secret detention of a witness to alleged army crimes raise grave concerns of a politically motivated prosecution, Human Rights Watch said today. Holding the suspect incommunicado for six days heightened the risk of torture and other ill treatment.<br /></p>

<p>The criminal court postponed the deposition hearing of the ‘Men in Black’ suspects, who were allegedly involved in violence during the military crackdown on redshirts on 10 April 2010 due to the lack of evidence for charges of terrorism and disagreement between the public prosecutor and the Department of Special Investigation, who is overseeing the investigation of the case. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</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>

<p>Five ‘men in black’ suspects accused of taking part in the deadly political violence on 10 April 2010 denied all charges that the prosecutors filed against them.</p> <p>Winyat Chatmontree, a lawyer from Free Thai Legal Aid (FTLA), stated on Monday that the five suspects known as the ‘men in black,’ charged with possession of unauthorized and illegal weapons of war, such as M79 grenade launchers, M16s, HK33s and explosive devices during the violent military crackdown on 10 April 2010 against red-shirt protesters, denied all charges filed against them by the prosecutors on Monday.</p>

<p>( Hong Kong, October 23, 2014)&nbsp;20th October 2014, The Human Rights Commission of the Lawyer Council of Thailand set up a working group to provide legal aid to Win or Win Saw Thun and Zaw Lin, the two Burmese suspects in the murder of David Miller, 24 and the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge, 23 in Koh Tao, Surat Thani province on 15 September 2014. Mr Surapong Kong-janteuk has been appointed as the head of the the mission to provide legal aid and other assistance regarding human rights violation in criminal legal procedure along with several other senior attorneys.</p>

<div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 10 October 2014, the independent online media outlet Prachatai reported on three instances of torture of persons held in military and police custody which have taken place since the 22 May 2014 coup by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) in Thailand (Read the entire report by Prachatai in English <a href="http://prachatai.org/english/node/4395">here</a> and in Thai <a href="http://prachatai.org/journal/2014/10/55937">here</a>). </div>

<div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Five suspects, accused of being the ‘Men in Black’, recanted their confessions, and said their confessions were made under duress due to alleged torture and ill-treatment during military detention, according to their lawyer. </div>

<div>The accounts of torture include electric shocks to the genitals, suffocation, continuous beatings all night, and detention in a hole in the ground, while the hole was being filled.&nbsp;</div> <div> </div>

<div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The court has rejected an appeal to investigate an alleged torture case in Pattani on grounds that the 2007 Constitution can no longer be used to claim a citizen’s basic rights, according to the&nbsp; <a href="http://th.macmuslim.com/?p=810">Muslim Attorney Center Foundation</a>.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <div>On 7 September, the Pattani Provincial Court rejected an appeal by Rohima Huseng, who alleged security officers in Pattani tortured her brother, Hasan Huseng, during interrogation.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Hasan Huseng, a suspected insurgent, was captured by Spec </div></div>

<div>&nbsp;</div> <div>A Thai man said he was beaten up by police after he turned down a police offer of reward money if he agreed to be a witness in the murder case of two British tourists in Thailand’s tourist island of Koh Tao, southern Surat Thani Province, according to <a href="http://www.manager.co.th/South/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9570000112441">ASTV-Manager online.</a></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <div>The report says Pornprasit Sukdam, 37, on Tuesday complained to Kobchai Saowalak, kamnan (subdistrict head) of Koh Tao Subdistrict, and asked for protection.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Po </div></div>