<p>Political leaders and corporate titans put profit and power ahead of people, betraying promises for fair recovery from pandemic, stated in the annual report of Amnesty International.</p>

<p>Declared 2 years ago to combat the spread of Covid-19, Thailand&rsquo;s State of Emergency has resulted in diminished freedom of expression and assembly. &nbsp;It has also been used as grounds for cracking down on pro-democracy protests and prosecuting activists.</p>

<p>See inside the dark abyss of an online business in Cambodia&rsquo;s Sihanoukville where over 20 Thais were tricked into leaving home for a promising salary, only to find themselves forced to work in an online fraud scheme, a growing trend in illegal work that shades into human trafficking and modern day slavery in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic.</p>

<p>When the state locked down workers&rsquo; camps without providing assistance to camp residents, the volunteer network &lsquo;No One Cares&rsquo; was born.</p>

<p>A trip back through 2021 through 15 articles chosen by the Prachatai English editorial team.</p>

<p>Thai sex workers remain excluded from government assistance schemes, after the government ordered the closure of entertainment businesses to prevent the spread of Covid-19, causing many to lose their jobs and income.</p>

<p>The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced today (26 November) that it will extend the state of emergency for another 2 months, while also announcing that current Covid-19 restrictions will be eased from 1 December onwards.</p>

<p>The Criminal Court ruled on Thursday (25 November 2021) to dismiss the charge against Danai Usama, a graffiti artist from Phuket, who was <a href="https://prachatai.com/english/node/8432">charged with violation of the Computer Crimes Act</a> for posting that he encountered no Covid-19 screening at Suvarnabhumi Airport after returning from Spain in March 2020.</p>

<p>A network of musicians and entertainment workers filed a petition to the Prime Minister on Tuesday&nbsp;(23 November) to demand that entertainment businesses be allowed to reopen, after the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced on 12 November that their reopening date will be pushed back from 1 December to 16 January 2022.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When the Mekong River changes,&nbsp; a way of life does too. Listen to the reflections of two generations of &ldquo;Mekong people&rdquo; from Pho Sai District, Ubon Ratchathani Province, who are facing dead plants, disappearing fish, falling incomes, and diminished tourism &ndash;&nbsp;because of upstream dams in China.</p>