<p>When protesters and members of the public again raised the issue of amending the lèse majesté law in November, political parties and affiliated think tanks responded in different ways.</p>

<p>Crowd control police may look more formidable than ever as the Royal Thai Police has just spent 350 million baht on crowd control equipment. But their fate remains unsettled as 24 of them experienced unusual diarrhoea on 11 May when Parit Chiwarak and Chaiamorn Kaewwiboonpan were released.</p>

<p>Leaders of the community human rights defenders in Nongbua Lamphu Province, northeastern Thailand, are facing repeated death threats as they continue the struggle to permanently shut down quarry mining that has impacted their health and environment.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>