This month marks the one year anniversary of protests in Thailand that brought Bangkok to a standstill in 2010. Some 88 people were killed and 1800 injured in the violence. The country still remains in a transition, with Red Shirt protesters taking to the streets and the current government of Abhisit Vejjajiva preparing for an election this year. Following last April’s protests, the government quickly began cracking down on media and FSRN has been following the case of Chiranuch Premchaiporn, an editor with the news website Prachatai.

Six weeks after the postponement of her trial under charges from the Computer Crimes Act, Chiranuch Premchaiporn of Prachatai (better known as Jiew) finds herself unexpectedly back in a courtroom. 

Internet experts from Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia expressed concern about the ongoing regional trend of targeting online intermediaries in attempts to control the flow of information in cyberspace.

The trial of the Prachatai Director has been postponed to September and October after 5 days of hearings dealt with 5 witnesses out of 14 in total.

Chiranuch Premchaiporn's trial over computer crime charges began yesterday and attracted some 40 supporters and observers, all of whom are interested to see how this case against the freedom of expression pans out. The accused is the director of the non-profit online newspaper Prachatai.com.