<div>Activists and journalists in the Deep South of Thailand have been intimidated for producing t-shirts allegedly supporting the separatist movement. </div>

<div> <div>Police officers and soldiers have again confiscated ‘right to campaign’ balloons from pro-democracy activists in northern Thailand, threatening to prosecute the activists if they continue the campaign.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Sunday, 3 July 2016, over 10 police officers and soldiers confiscated balloons printed with the message “campaigning is not a crime” from activists of the Free Maejo for Democracy group, a pro-democracy student activist group in the northern province of Chiang Mai, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) <a href="http://www.tlhr2014.com/th/?p=851">repor </a></div></div>

<div> <div>Pro-democracy activists and unionists have been arrested for distributing ‘vote no’ flyers to people at an industrial estate after the authorities asked them to stop the activity. </div></div>

<div>As a Canadian Masters student who is researching development practices in Thailand, and works at Prachatai, I often hear and read about conflicts between authorities and activists. After observing interactions between the two groups this past weekend, from the explanations given by the authorities for their interventions at least, it seems like they are there just to help out! Let me explain.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>There is an activist group called the New E-saan Movement, which is located in the northeast region of Isaan, in Thailand. </div>

<div> <div>The military has gone to a new level by intimidating a pro-democracy Buddhist monk at his temple.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Thursday, 12 May 2016, Phraiwan Wannabut revealed on Facebook and to Prachatai that the military had visited him at his temple more than five times and will come again this Saturday.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Each time, the military take photos of the monk and plead with the monk to stop all political activities, including writing articles and Facebook posts, and also offer him lunch. </div></div>

<div>&nbsp;</div> <div>After the<a href="http://www.thecrimson.com/"> Harvard Crimson</a>&nbsp;an article which talked about the pro-coup Thai elite trying to influence the Thai Studies programme at Harvard for the “personal safety of its author,” the paper on Thursday reposted the article on its website saying it was now safe because the author had left Thailand.&nbsp;</div> <div> </div>