By Suluck Lamubol |
<p class="rteleft">January 10, 2012 -- UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Frank La Rue, said he will continue to pressure the Thai government to amend the lèse majesté law, as well as provide technical support for the authorities where necessary.</p>
By Suluck Lamubol |
<p class="rteleft">As a part of our ‘looking forward to 2012’ series, Prachatai interviewed CJ Hinke, freedom activist and founder of FACT – Freedom against Censorship Thailand - on the situation of freedom in Thailand, internet freedom in particular. </p>
<p>First year Thammasat University student Kan Thoop, her cyber nickname, who was summoned by police for her internet posts allegedly offensive to the monarchy, has postponed the date for her to report to police to February as she has exams to do this month. </p>
<p>Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul, who was given a <a href="http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/2950">new sentence</a> of 15 years’ imprisonment for lèse majesté in December last year, has decided to appeal her case, according to her lawyer Prawase Praphanukul. </p>
<p>Lèse majesté charges have been filed by a Prachatai reader and information from the police reveals that he has filed lèse majesté charges against at least 15 people based on comments on three articles on Prachatai.</p>
<p>Nitirat, a group of law academics at Thammasat University, has announced two activities to be held in January next year to campaign for amendments to Article 112 and the nullification of the 2006 coup’s legal effects, as has been proposed to the public by the group.</p>
<p>Meechai Ruchuphan, a veteran legal expert who has served several governments and juntas in various capacities in the last three decades, has given his views on the lèse majesté law in his answer to a question posted at his <a href="http://www.meechaithailand.com/index1.html">website</a> by one of his readers.</p>
<p>Pol Gen Vasit Dejkunjorn, former palace police chief and former Deputy Police Chief, has published an article in Matichon in response to recent comments by the US Ambassador and the United Nations Office of Human Rights on Thailand’s lèse majesté law.</p>
<p>On 19 Dec, Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, editor of Voice of Taksin magazine and red-shirt leader, was brought to the provincial court in Phetchabun in lower northern Thailand for the hearing of the second prosecution witness, a former employee of his magazine. The court room was packed with an audience from Bangkok and local areas.</p>
<p>On 15 Dec, the Criminal Court sentenced Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul to 15 years in prison, after the Constitutional Court had ruled that its secret trial of the case was not unconstitutional.</p>
<p>Deputy Prime Minister Pol Capt Chalerm Yubamrung is set to begin his crackdown on websites offensive to the monarchy, and has sought a budget of 400 million baht to buy new equipment to block foreign websites.</p>
<p>On 10 Dec, about 100 activists gathered at the Victory Monument to join a ‘Fearlessness Walk’ to protest against the lèse majesté law.</p>