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<div>Although the junta’s controversial new media bill has triggered outrage, human rights advocates point out that the Thai media should have been protesting the junta’s censorship regulations long ago. </div>
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<div>On 16 February 2017, at a seminar <a href="http://prachatai.com/journal/2017/02/70127">“Media (Non)Protection Bill: Freedom under Government Budget”</a>, Suchada Chakpisuth observed that public opposition against the junta’s Media Protection Bill has been weak compared to the junta’s previous proposed laws. </div>
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<div>Suchada, a senio
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<p>The Thai media has called on the Thai junta to abolish orders restricting freedom of the press while the junta leader scolded them for their demand, implying that the Thai media already enjoys enough freedom. </p>
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<div>To highlight its important role in 60 years of promoting human rights and freedom of the press, the Thai Journalists Association (TJA) will organize a charity golf tournament, where the winners will be awarded trophies by Thailand’s current junta leader and a former unelected prime minister from the military.</div>
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<div>The board of the Thailand Journalists Association (TJA) on Thursday resolved to nominate four current and former members for appointment to the junta’s National Reform Council (NRC), Matichon Online reported.</div>
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<div>The four are Pradit Ruangdit, president, Manit Suksomjit, advisor, Sommai Parichat, former president and Surasak Jirawatmongkol, vice president.
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<div>Military officers directly ordered a newspaper not to publish a story on an anti-coup group, according to a Vice-President of the Thai Journalist Association (TJA).</div>
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<div>On Tuesday 24 June, military officers reportedly visited the newsroom of a newspaper and instructed the editorial staff not to report the establishment of Free Thais for Human Rights and Democracy (FTHD), an anti-coup group in exile.
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