<p>The criminal court will conduct the witness hearings on the case of Ms. Chiranuch Premchaiporn from 4 to 17 February 2010. Ms. Chiranuch will appear as the defendant, while the Office of the Special Attorney on Criminal Case 8 which is under Office of the Attorney-General will appear as the prosecutor. This case deals with the penalty related to the intermediary under the Section 15 of the Computer Crime Act which is related to supporting or consenting to an offence related to national security within a computer system under the intermediary’s control.<br /></p>

<p>On 21 January 2011 at the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok, representatives of all parties involved in the criminal proceedings in the case of the 12 March 2004 forcible disappearance of human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit gathered expecting to hear the verdict of the Appeal Court concerning the conviction of one out of the five accused. One Thai and one international observer from the Asian Human Rights Commission joined other observers from Thai nongovernmental organizations, international nongovernmental organizations, and several embassies who monitored the hearing.</p>

<p>A group of 85 persons have been in detention in Bangkok since December 14, 2010 despite the fact that they are already registered as asylum seekers with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Bangkok. Of the 85 persons, 17 of them have reportedly had their applications accepted and have been granted refugee status. The group includes 38 women and girls, among whom there is at least one pregnant woman. It also includes at least 38 children, including 26 aged under 10 years. There is also a number of babies and elderly one of whom is 60 and is suffering high blood pressure and another person with a heart condition. </p>

<p>(Hong Kong, January 18, 2011) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) will send international and domestic observers to attend the reading of the verdict on January 21 in the appeal case concerning the disappearance and presumed killing of human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit, its executive director announced today.</p> <p>&quot;This is an historic case of tremendous importance not only for Thailand but also for the regional human rights movement,&quot; Wong Kai Shing said.</p>

<p>The Asian Human Rights Commission has obtained information that immigration authorities have taken into custody at least 85 persons from Pakistan who are seeking asylum. The group includes babies, small children, pregnant women, and the sick and elderly. The persons have registered with the United Nations for asylum and so far 17 have reportedly been officially recognized as refugees.</p>

<p>For the Human Rights Day in 2010 the Asian Human Rights Commission presents the reports on the state of human rights in eleven countries in Asia; <a href="http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2010/AHRC-SPR-001-2010.pdf">Bangladesh</a>, <a href="http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2010/AHRC-SPR-002-2010.pdf">Burma</a>, <a href="http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2010/AHRC-SPR-003-2010.pdf">Cambodia</a>, <a href="http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2010/AHRC-SPR-004-2010.pdf">India</a>, <a> </a></p>

<p>(Hong Kong, December 9, 2010) Anti-human rights forces and their allies have re-emerged to take control of key national institutions in Thailand and are digging in to fight for political control of the country, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) warned on Thursday.</p>

<p>(Hong Kong, November 5, 2010) The Asian Human Rights Commission on Wednesday launched a new campaign webpage on the case of Chiranuch Premchaiporn, the director of the independent online news service Prachatai, who is facing multiple criminal charges over material that readers posted onto her website.</p>

<p>The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that Ms. Chiranuch Premchaiporn, director of Prachatai online newspaper, was detained by the immigration police at Suvarnabhumi Airport, in Samutprakarn province near Bangkok, and transferred to Khon Kaen police station, in northeastern Thailand. She has been charged with violating the Computer Crimes Act BE.2550 (2007) and Articles 112 and 116 of the Criminal Code BE.2499 (1956) (section of the code relating to les&egrave; majest&eacute;).</p>

<p>Map Ta Phut in Rayong district is a long-standing major industrial and manufacturing area along the eastern seaboard of Thailand. In June 2009, Map Ta Phut villagers and the Stop Global Warming Association sued eight Thai state agencies in relation to the ongoing health and environmental effects caused by heavy industry and manufacturing.</p>

<p>Friday 24 September 2010, 9.30 am. The Criminal Court is scheduled to read the verdict of Somchai Neelapaijit reached by the Appeal Court.</p> <p><strong>Background</strong></p> <p>After seven months of court hearings into the disappearance of Mr. Somchai from August 2005 onward on the offences regarding coercion and robber, the Bangkok Criminal Court read out the verdict in Black Case no. 1952/2547 and Red Case no. Or 4/2549 on 12 January 2006. In sum, the Court holds that:</p>

<p align="justify">(Hong Kong, July 30, 2010) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on Friday launched a new webpage on the state of emergency in Thailand. </p> <p>The webpage, Thailand State of Emergency 2010, features a map showing provinces where the emergency remains in effect, and carries links to AHRC material as well as outside resources on the emergency decree. </p> <p>The webpage can be accessed at: <a target="_blank" href="http://thailand.ahrchk.net/emergency2010/">http://thailand.ahrchk.net/<wbr></wbr>emergency2010/</a> &nbsp;</p>