<p>Considering its public statements, it seems that the Nitirat group has called for amendments to Article 112 of the Criminal Code in order that those who ‘criticize the monarchy in good faith’ are exempted from or given lighter punishments, but this is not all that what they want, said <a href="http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/2957">Pol Gen Vasit Dejkunjorn</a> in his Matichon column published on 10 Jan.</p>
<p>A group of officials at the National Human Rights Commission have expressed discontent in a letter sent to the media over the fact that two members of the Nitirat group were invited to give lectures in the orientation for new recruits on 13-14 Jan.</p>
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>