Of late, a lot of number-crunching has been going on, especially before and after the court decided to confiscate Bt46 billion of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra's Bt76-billion frozen assets. A lot of people, be they trained in economics, law or even fields that are not remotely related to this subject, came up with different figures. In fact, some even said that Thaksin's greed and corruption had cost the country more than Bt100 billion in damages.

Reporters Without Borders will celebrate World Day Against Cyber Censorship on 12 March. This event is intended to rally everyone in support of a single Internet that is unrestricted and accessible to all. It is also meant to draw attention to the fact that, by creating new spaces for exchanging ideas and information, the Internet is a force for freedom. However, more and more governments have realised this and are reacting by trying to control the Internet.

Thailand's Ministry of Labor warned Thai employers not to bring any migrant workers to join ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra's supporters, who are scheduled to launch a major anti-government protest in Bangkok this weekend.

In the latest escalation of labor tensions in Burma, around 4,000 factory workers at an industrial estate on the outskirts of Rangoon staged a sit-in on Saturday to demand better pay, according to sources in the area.

Today the world is looking to women for change in what remains a situation that offends human rights on a daily basis. In its work as a listener and voice to claims of human rights violations, the Asian Human Rights Commission regularly quotes statistics such as in Madhya Pradesh, India, 67% of the people live below the poverty line and 60% of the children are undernourished while 73.9% of tribal women are anaemic.

Following is the statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, which is commemorated on 8 March 2010:

"It has been estimated that as many as one in three women across the world has been beaten, raped or otherwise abused during the course of her lifetime. And the most common source of such violence comes from within the family. Amongst the most extreme forms of abuse is what is known as ‘honour killing’.

Chiang Mai, Thailand - On the 99th anniversary of International Women’s Day, APWLD urges the international community to become involved in what has the potential to be Southeast Asia’s most powerful tool for the protection and promotion of women’s human rights. This April at the ASEAN Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) will be established.

Survivors of rape in Cambodia face limited access to justice, medical services and counselling, Amnesty International said in a report issued today, as rapes of women and girls appear to be increasing. 

The disconnect between the mainstream media and the red shirts has become even starker after the February 26 court ruling on former PM Thaksin Shinawatra's so-called ill-gotten wealth, leading to the seizure of Bt46 billion of his assets.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has strongly criticised the Royal Thai Government (RTG) for its treatment of migrant workers. Just a week after the United Nation’s Special Rapportuer on the Human Rights of Migrants publically issued a statement of concern on RTG’s migrant worker policies, Thailand’s human rights reputation falls into question as it vies for membership of the UN’s Human Rights Council. 

Today [26 Feb] has marked a history of Thailand’s justice system. The seized asset of more than 40,000 millions was done on a claim that I benefited from higher stock prices due to my being Prime Minister. The surplus was interpreted as wrongdoings, and was entirely seized. This must be a joke to the world. Stock rising as a result of my being Prime Minister? When stocks rise, the entire market does.

Three persons were killed and five were wounded after being shot by Thailand's security forces in the southern part of the country. All the victims were identified as Burmese who were trying to enter Thailand illegally. Two of the dead were children aged two and four, according to Burmese workers living in the area.

What should be done if the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders find ousted and convicted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra to be guilty of corruptions on Friday February 26? The court should then returns the Bt76 billion assets frozen since Septmeber 2006 coup to Thaksin and his family because the whole process from the staging of the coup on the eve of 19 September 2006, the appointment of the Asset Examination Committee (AEC) by the military junta and so on, was illegitimate - disregard of whether-Thaksin may in fact be corrupt or not.

56 organisations/groups have sent a letter to the ASEAN and Heads of Government of ASEAN countries, calling them to pay attention to the struggle of factory workers in Burma.

Violence was lurking just beneath the surface at yesterday's red-shirt rally by the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (DAAD) in front of Bangkok Bank's headquarters on Silom Road.

The Bt800-million GT200 hoax is forcing scientists to encourage Thais to become more rational. It is a fair and modest request, because Thai society is bound to benefit from rational thought. 

The Working Group on Justice for Peace (WGJP) has been calling for the Thai government to conduct an independent test of the GT200 bomb detector since we believe it is not a scientific device. Lately, the government has conceded to the demand and held a test. As expected by public, leading scientists, human rights activists and communities affected by the use of the device, GT200 has proven to be a complete failure contrary to the claim made by its manufacturer. The detection efficiency of the device falls even lower than a random search.

The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) and its sister organisation, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), have documented numerous arbitrary detentions throughout the Asian region in the year preceding the 13th session of the Human Rights Council. Cases, notably from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand, show a consistent and widespread pattern of abuse of authority by law enforcement agencies concerning illegal and arbitrary detention.

Myanmar’s government must halt its repression of ethnic minority activists before forthcoming national and local elections, Amnesty International warned in a major report released today. 

On February 5 an unidentified man was arrested for comments he posted to a webboard. His house was searched, his computer confiscated as evidence, his family frightened, and friends panicked. These are ordinary people who express opinions that the authorities consider dangerous, and the mainstream media never allows.  The Internet is their only outlet.