<p><em>&rdquo;In hospitals across Sweden, the rest of Europe and in North America, the products of M&ouml;lnlycke Health Care help save lives and reduce human suffering. In Samut Prakarn, they have the opposite effect&rdquo;. </em></p>

<p>Following her 11 day long anti-trafficking mission (August 8-19) visiting Chiang Mai, Mae Sot, Samut Sakhon, Songkhla and Tak, the UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, Ms. Joy Ngozi Ezeilo returned to Bangkok to hold a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding her preliminary findings and recommendations. </p>

<p>&rdquo;Protect One, Empower a Thousand&rdquo; is the motto by which the international non-governmental organization Frontline describes the importance of special protection and support for human rights defenders, a message which human rights activists in Bangkok called for Japanese authorities to respect in a protest staged by the Action Network for Migrants on Wednesday.</p>

<p>On August 8, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children (2008-2011), Ms. Joy Ngozi Ezeilo from Nigeria, officially commenced her special counter-trafficking mission in Thailand. </p>

<p>On Wednesday (August 10), torture victim Sudeerueman Maleh, former client of missing human rights lawyer Somchai Neelapaijit, was sentenced to two years in prison. Why? The Thai police do not only enjoy impunity against gross human rights violations, but are also able to use it in order to make it a crime for victims to even file complaints of human rights abuses.</p>

<p>On a small island, out of sight and out of mind, some 2,600 kilometres northwest of the Australian coast, thousands of refugees have been held behind barbed wire in a high-security detention centre while their asylum applications are being processed. </p>

<p>Following the horrendous attacks in Norway on Friday July 22, leaving 76 people dead, Prachatai visited the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Bangkok to express sincere condolences and sympathies in connection with the Embassy&rsquo;s <a href="http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/2681">condolence service</a> and for an interview with Mr. Erik Svedahl, Minister Counsellor.</p>

<p>July 22, 2011 will be remembered as one of the darkest days in Norwegian history. A day struck by two horrendous attacks leaving 76 people dead, most of them teenagers sharing a strong passion for democracy, welfare and solidarity. A day we will never forget.</p>

<p>The pieces are still scattered as to what happened and who bears responsibility for the fire that burned down the Central World shopping complex and the search for truth in the ashes of last year&rsquo;s protest continues in Bangkok South Criminal Court.&nbsp; </p>

<p>On July 1, students, activists and press gathered outside the Malaysian Embassy, Bangkok, in response to the Malaysian Government&rsquo;s arrest of more than a hundred members of the coalition network Bersih 2.0 consisting of various Malaysian human rights organizations campaigning for reforms in the electoral system. </p>