<p>(Bangkok, 25 March 2015) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) is deeply concerned by the Draft Public Assembly Act (Draft Act) regulating public gatherings, including demonstrations that require prior notification. The Draft Act, which was proposed on 26 February 2015, is expected to be passed by the military junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly and enter into force this month.</p>

<p>In a bid to stop the political activities of student activists, military officers have intimidated 17 student activists by paying visits to their homes, dorms, and parent’s homes.</p> <p>The Thai Student Centre for Democracy (TSCD), a student activist group, on Wednesday revealed on the group’s <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thaiscdcom/photos/a.361402257353247.1073741828.361287087364764/452079884952150/?type=1">Facebook page</a>&nbsp;that since 19 March, 17 student activists have been intimidated by military officers who came to visit their homes.</p>

<p>The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the National Union of Journalists, Thailand (NUJT) deplores the comments made by Thai military junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha against journalists on Wednesday, March 25. The IFJ and NUJT condemn the comments as a threat to press freedom in Thailand, noting that the comments illustrate the continued decline of press freedom in Thailand over the past 12 months.<br /><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><a href="http://www.khaosodenglish.com/">Khaosod English</a>: Thailand's military leader has asked the media not to report on human trafficking without considering how the news will affect the country's seafood industry and reputation abroad.</p>

<p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ad34ef6e-552f-a634-0d1e-d16cff8803e2">A civil society organisation for the poor rejected the junta’s subsidised state housing project, saying that the project is not compatible with the livelihoods of the urban poor. &nbsp;</span></p>

<p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-cdd970bd-49da-310d-eb0d-943b2c14041a">The military court rejected the bail request of a criminal court bombing suspect who was allegedly tortured by the police under custody.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-cdd970bd-49da-310d-eb0d-943b2c14041a">Bangkok’s military court on Monday denied a bail request submitted by Sansern Sriounruen, 54, one of the four criminal court bombing suspects who were reportedly&nbsp;tortured under military detention in early March. &nbsp;</span></p>

<p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-445d2a04-4645-5e98-087f-33e936067494">The Thai military forced labour unionists to remove pro-election stickers and placards at&nbsp;a monthly rally.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-445d2a04-4645-5e98-087f-33e936067494">Around six military officers on Saturday morning inspected cars which belong to Rangsit and Area Labour Union members at the rally in Pathum Thani Province, north of Bangkok, and ordered the union members to remove the A4 stickers which simply read ‘election’.</span></p>

<p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-18224a16-3adf-aa99-5c7f-32efdd562486">The military in northern Thailand have summoned a university lecturer and a rector over an anti-junta banner and warned that there should be no political activity on campus.</span></p>

<p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-18496adf-351d-7488-26e9-6ec202ae1095">The Assembly of the Poor, a Thai civil society organisation, issued a statement condemning the Thai junta’s eviction of poor communities and urging international organisations to pressure the regime to protect human rights. &nbsp;</span></p>

<div>The military court sentenced a man to six months in prison for not reporting to the coup-makers in 2014, but the jail term was suspended.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The military court on Thursday morning sentenced Pongsak S, aka Sam, an anti-establishment red shirt who was accused of violating the junta’s National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) Announcement No. </div>

<div>The junta-appointed parliament has passed the 2015 Gender Equality Act. The law imposes a jail term of up to six months for anyone committing gender discrimination.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The latest version of the law, announced in the Royal Gazette on 8 March, has removed controversial elements which upheld exceptions for gender discrimination in three situations where equality was not mandated. These exceptions were education, religion and the public interest.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The law will be enacted in August. </div>

<p align="center"><strong>Investigation of alleged torture against suspects of the Criminal Court Bomb urged,</strong></p> <p align="center"><strong>Martial Law must be lifted</strong></p> <p align="center"><strong>For immediate release on 17 March 2015</strong></p>