Thailand should reverse its recent backward slide in respect for freedom of expression, as illustrated by the sharp increase over the past ten months in cases under the lese majeste law.

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) expresses its concern over a statement made by Information and Communication Technology Minister Ranongrak Suwanchawee of Thailand threatening to pursue legal action against websites and their respective Internet service providers (ISPs) where posts discussing the King’s health allegedly caused the drop in the Thai bourse last month.

Mr. Frank La Rue, UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression visited South Korea for attending international symposium on 'Freedom of Opinion and Expression in Cyber Space' and workshop on 'Situation of Freedom of Expression in South Korea and the Use of UN Special Procedures' between October 12 and October 15.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing to you to request urgent intervention in accordance with your respective mandates in response to the case of Darunee Chanchoengsilapakul, and also with a view to wider concerns about steadily declining freedom of expression and increasing politicization of the judiciary in Thailand.

Officers fighting cyber crime should not target intermediaries such as Internet service providers, webmasters and search engines because it is ineffective and allows real criminal to get undetected, hurting the economy and the community, according to the Thai Netizen Network (TNN).

Da Torpedo was acquitted on a charge of besieging the ASTV office, but was fined for insulting Sondhi Limthongkul.  

On July 28, Bangkok South Criminal Court ruled on the charges against Daranee Charnchoengsilapakul or Da Torpedo of instigating unrest, detaining others, damaging property, trespass and defamation, in an incident on 1 June 2007, when she led a group of about 50-70 red shirts to protest at the ASTV office on Phra Athit Road.

A confidential letter has been sent to a Prime Minister’s Office Minister, blacklisting websites, community radio stations and cable TV stations. The source of the letter has not been reported.

Two Australian academics want a baby elephant to be named after a political prisoner in Thailand, as a way to draw attention to his case.

Thai Netizen Network with support from Media Legal Defense Initiative (MLDI) and Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) would like to invite you to a seminar on Cyber-Crime laws: Global perspectives and Legal practice.

Luksna Kornsilpa has sent a press release plus an article in Thai and English to the press today.  According to the press release, more charges are to be filed against many people including police and state attorney for malfeasance.  Besides Thaksin and his cronies, those who will sign the petition to the King will be charged as well.

Paris, 2 July 2009 : The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) expresses its deepest concern regarding the increased use of lèse majesté law in Thailand. The Organization already drew the attention of the Thai authorities to restrictions to the right to freedom of expression and to the political implications of the abusive use of the legislation on lèse majesté.

For the first time in its five-decade history, the whole board of the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) has been accused of committing lese majeste, a crime with a maximum jail sentence of 15 years.

On June 26, the Office of the Attorney-General again postponed a decision on whether to prosecute Chiranuch Premchaiporn who has been charged for allowing comments offensive to the monarchy to be posted on the Prachatai webboard.

The prosecution has ordered the police to conduct further investigations and told Chiranuch to report again on July 29.

On June 25, Daranee Charncherngsilapakul’s lawyer requested the Court to seek a Constitutional Court ruling on whether the Court’s decision to hold the trial in secret is constitutional or not, and temporarily suspend the trial until the Constitutional Court gives its ruling.

An Italian court has delayed a case against search giant Google, which could have major ramifications for content providers around the globe.

At the heart of the case is a debate about how much responsibility providers have for the content on their sites.

A Thai judge citing reasons of national security closed the trial on Tuesday of a "red shirt" supporter of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra charged with insulting the monarchy.