<p>The decision by the Royal Thai Army to charge Pornpen Khongkachonkiet and the Cross Cultural Foundation with criminal defamation is in line with similar charges brought earlier by the Royal Thai Navy against Phuketwan online newspaper.&nbsp; It also heralds a slew of similar prosecutions which critics say are designed to silence any criticism of the governing military junta and the government they have installed.</p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5595/14938866207_58ae164270_z.jpg" style="width: 640px; height: 421px;" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#ff8c00;"><em>General Thanasak Patimaprakorn</em>, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, met with Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia, 1 September 2104.</span></p>

<p>Hard day, dear?</p> <p>Hmmm.&nbsp; It’s been a Prime Minister day …</p> <p>Yes, dear, I know.</p> <p>You do?</p> <p>The suit and tie.&nbsp; That’s your PM uniform.&nbsp; Your peaked cap, scrambled egg and full medals is when you’re Army Chief and for Head of NCPO, if you can get away with it, it’s beret and starched fatigues.&nbsp; It’s not difficult to work out.</p> <p>Hmmm.&nbsp; Well I much prefer the fatigues.&nbsp; I just don’t feel comfortable in a suit.&nbsp; Politicians wear suits.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Foreign countries are expressing quiet concern over Thai plans to outlaw surrogate democracy.&nbsp; While readily acknowledging Thailand’s right to enact legislation to protect its own body politic, they are urging a transitional approach.&nbsp;</p> <p>A number of foreign governments are thought to have invested heavily in ongoing surrogate democracy programmes in Thailand which, due to the normal course of events, will take time to mature.&nbsp; A sudden clampdown will put their investments at risk.</p>

<p>Myanmar last week played host to the gatherings of the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as chair of the organization this year. So far, Myanmar has received mixed reviews from the international community on its performance of the chairmanship. Some criticized Myanmar for failing to seriously address the issue of South China Sea. Some congratulated Myanmar for its own political reforms that also saw a rapprochement between Nay Pyi Taw and Washington.</p>

<p>It’s not listed in any of the human rights documents that the UN comes out with but let’s credit Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha with the Right to Ignorance.</p> <p>So they arrest this Kritsuda woman on 27 May under martial law.&nbsp; After 7 days she fails to re-emerge, no one knows where she is, and then on 17 June her name appears on one of the NCPO’s ‘see me in my office tomorrow morning or else’ lists.&nbsp; This was a bit perplexing since as far as anyone knew, she was still in the custody of the military.&nbsp; How can you report to them when they’re holding you incommunicado?&nbsp;</p>

<p>When the summons was announced for the leaders of the anti-Israeli rally to report to the Thai Army Club, most observers assumed that it was the normal ‘we’ll have none of this marching about no matter what noble cause you say it’s in aid of’ message.&nbsp; And the representatives of the Al Quds International Council of Thailand emerged from their enforced conversation and reported telling the military that the protest was nothing to do with Thai politics.</p> <p>Oh yeah?</p>

<p>It's not just through guns and tanks that the military junta, known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), usurps and clings to power. Two months after the coup, the Kingdom saw the use of both soft and hard power, as well as support from a large enough sector of the population that helped shore up the NCPO.</p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3862/14783115555_c659fd2807.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#ff8c00;"><em>Professor Charnvit Kasetsiri (Left) and Professor Tham Chaloemtiarana (Right)</em></span></p>

<p>Permanent Secretary and Acting Minister of Education Suthasri Wongsamarn has announced plans to introduce ‘good deeds passports’ for all Thai students to encourage ‘goodness and ethics’ among the nation’s youth. &nbsp;Students are to keep daily records of their good deeds and these will be signed off by the schools’ directors. &nbsp;(It is well known that school directors have oodles of free time because administrative paper-shuffling in the nation’s schools is virtually non-existent; I can’t think what they get up to all day.)</p>

<div>&nbsp;</div> <div>“I have no regrets, at all, that I decided not to report myself to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).” Even though many people told me to reconsider, I remain firm in my original decision.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>As soon as the broadcast of Announcement No. 5/2557 [2014] of the military dictatorship of the NCPO on the afternoon of Saturday, 24 May 2014, which ordered 35 individuals to report themselves, was finished, I did not hesitate. </div>

<div>I'm frequently asked by my friends who are outside the conflict area of the Southern Border Provinces of Thailand or Patani on what they can do in order to help us. Those who are working for organizations specialized in aiding and social works never ask this question, as they can be part of conflict solution by performing their duties. This question is always asked by those well-wishers whose job has nothing to do with conflict solution. The well-wishes of these people are highly appreciated, but I must confess that I'm always at a loss when met by such questions. </div>