<div>Human rights lawyers have called on the junta to cease the use of absolute powers during the ongoing clash between authorities and monks at Wat Dhammakaya.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 20 February 2017, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) released <a href="http://www.tlhr2014.com/th/?p=3520">a statement</a> calling on the military government to cease the use of special powers in its raid of Wat Dhammakaya. </div>

<p>A military court has held the first trial for the lèse majesté suspect who claimed to possess telepathic powers. &nbsp;</p> <p>The Military Court of Bangkok on 9 February &nbsp;2017 held<a href="http://www.tlhr2014.com/th/?p=3451">&nbsp;the first trial for Sao Saengmuang</a>, a suspect of offences under Article 112 of the Criminal Code, the lèse majesté law.</p> <p>Sao was indicted by military prosecutors for submitting a complaint in March 2015 to the Criminal Division for Political Office Holders of the Supreme Court.</p>

<div>Human rights lawyers have filed a charge against Thailand’s Corrections Department after prison officers barred a lawyer from meeting his lèse majesté client.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><img alt="" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5568/15214891692_e68b09995d_o.png" /></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <div>On 16 January 2016, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) filed a charge against the Corrections Department, the Director of Chiang Rai Central Prison and a prison staff member. </div></div>

<p dir="ltr">A provincial court has detained three anti-junta activists accused of discrediting the junta’s referendum on its controversial draft constitution.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Update: On 14 December 2016, Phra Khanong Provincial Court granted bail to the three suspects after Boonlert Wisetpricha, a lecturer from Thammasat University’s Faculty of &nbsp;Sociology and Anthropology, offered 200,00 baht as surety for each suspect. The suspects will be summoned again on 27 December to attend a reconciliation session and a deposition hearing. &nbsp;</em></p>

<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>Updated</strong>: According to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), the Military Court of Bangkok on 16 November 2016 has denied the bail request for Bundit Aneeya. He will be detained in Bangkok Remand Prison for the first custody period from 16-29 November 2016 with the possibility of the custody permission being renewed. </em></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Updated2: on 17 November, Bangkok Military Court granted bail for Bundit with 400,000 baht in cash as surety. &nbsp;</em></p>

<p dir="ltr">A military court in northern Thailand has detained a man accused of defaming the Thai Crown Prince.</p> <p>On 11 October 2016, the Military Court of the northern province of Chiang Rai granted police permission to detain Sarawut (surname withheld due to privacy concerns), a 32-year-old optometrist.</p>

<p>Despite being accused of disrespecting the military court, an embattled lèse majesté suspect has refused to bow down, saying that the court should have defended democracy against coup-makers.</p> <p>On 4 October 2016, a defence lawyer for Sirapop (surname withheld for privacy concerns), 52, resubmitted his client’s closing statement to the Military Court of Bangkok,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tlhr2014.com/th/?p=2358">Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported</a>.</p>

<div><img alt="" src="http://www.asef.org/images/stories/partners/images/forum_asia.jpg" /></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>3 October 2016</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The Thai Government should immediately drop all proceedings against human rights lawyer, Sirikan Charoensiri, including the specious accusation of sedition, which apparently relate to her organization’s representation of 14 student activists peacefully protesting in June 2015, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Asian Fo </div>

<p dir="ltr">The police have accused an embattled human rights lawyer of sedition and violation of the junta’s political gathering ban, for observing a pro-democracy protest.</p> <p>Police from Samranrat Police Station issued a summon order for Sirikan Charoensiri, a lawyer from the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), to report to the station on 27 September 2016,<a href="http://www.tlhr2014.com/th/?p=2252"> the TLHR reported</a>. &nbsp;</p>

<div> <div>Human rights advocates have attributed the junta’s recent order to cease trials of national security crimes in military courts to international pressure and the incapacity of military courts themselves, rather than the junta’s commitment to human rights.&nbsp;</div> </div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><img alt="" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7640/16637990197_bd2f6a0230.jpg" /></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>NCPO Head Order No. </div>

<div>After a long absence, military officers visited two anti-junta activists at their home to ‘adjust their attitudes’. The soldiers said they will visit the house again with their superior officer.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 10 September 2016, seven soldiers visited Payao Akhad and her son, Nattapat Akhad, at their home in Prachinburi Province. The two are political activists who have participated in various anti-junta campaigns. Soldiers asked them whether they will host any political campaigns in the near future. </div>

<div> <div> <div>Police officers in Thailand’s northeast have achieved a new standard of intimidation after pressing charges against two rights advocates for merely observing a seminar criticizing the junta-backed charter.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Wednesday, 31 July 2016, police officers in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen summoned six people to Mueang District Police Station to hear accusations against them. The authorities accused the six of breaching NCPO Order No. </div></div></div>