The latest edition of The Economist has been refused distribution in Thailand by its distributor due to improper content.

The trial has begun in the Criminal Court of Thanthawut Thaweewarodomkul, allegedly the administrator of www.norporchorusa.com. (Note: some changes have been made and more details added to the news report)

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.

Amphon Tangnoppakul has been denied bail yet again by the Appeals Court after he was indicted and sent to Bangkok Remand Prison last week.

Small leftist groups such as Social Move often get ignored alongside the bigger political actors, such as the yellow and red-shirt movements, and rarely get media exposure. Their ideological commitment is clear, however. Key Social Move member Saowalux Pongam talks to The Nation's Pravit Rojanaphruk about the left and politics. Excerpts: What is the political standing of Social Move?