Jailed Activists Describe Life in Prison
BANGKOK — Despite the harsh treatment seven jailed activists say they are being subjected to for campaigning against the junta-backed charter draft, they said Thursday they won’t seek bail because they...
View ArticleRedshirt TV Station Expects to Be Ordered Off Air Until After Referendum
BANGKOK — A Redshirt television station will be ordered shut down for 30 days, according to a source at the national telecommunications regulator.
View ArticleNot Child’s Play: Balloons, Toy Soldiers Latest Adaptation by Junta Opponents
BANGKOK — Twenty-five months after the coup makers rolled out their tanks and armed soldiers to seize power, pro-democracy student activists have secured tanks, guns and soldiers of their own. The only...
View ArticleJailed Activists Insist on Unconditional Release
BANGKOK — Seven activists imprisoned for campaigning against the junta's draft charter said today they will accept no less than immediate, unconditional release.
View ArticleCourt Frees 7 Activists
BANGKOK — Military judges Tuesday afternoon ordered all 13 activists be released without bail.
View ArticleElections Chief Compares Junta’s Referendum ‘Peace Centers’ to ‘Security Guards’
BANGKOK — Two days after the military government of Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha set up what it calls “peace centers” across the nation to enforce the Election Commission’s referendum law, even the head of...
View ArticleUN Refutes Rosy Thai Account of Meeting Over Referendum, Rights
BANGKOK — The Office of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon took the highly unusual step of refuting a Thai delegation’s account of a meeting held late last month on the referendum and freedom of...
View ArticleActivist Told He Can’t Leave Prison Due to Outstanding Warrant
BANGKOK — One of the seven pro-democracy activists set to be released from prison Wednesday was prevented from leaving at the last minute because police had a months-old warrant for his arrest.
View ArticleiLaw Sues to Get ‘One-Sided’ Referendum Show Taken Off Air
BANGKOK — Legal reform advocates sued elections officials today over a state-produced TV show they say has been entirely devoted to praising the proposed constitution that will soon be put to public...
View ArticleOut of Province Charter Voting Registration Ends Today; Only 1% Signs Up
BANGKOK — Organizers of the upcoming referendum, in which millions of Thais would decide whether to accept or reject a new constitution, were dismayed to find that only a fraction of those voters...
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The Bizarre ‘Referendum’ Process
How much meat must a sausage contain in order for it to be labelled as a genuine meat sausage? How absurd can a referendum process get before it can no longer be called a genuine referendum?
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Reporter Arrested While Reporting on Referendum in Ratchaburi
RATCHABURI — A reporter for a pro-democracy news website was detained by police this morning in Ratchaburi province.
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Activists, Reporter Won’t Seek Release on Bail: Lawyer
BANGKOK — A human rights lawyer said four activists and a reporter arrested on suspicion of intending to violate a recent law which criminalized public criticism of the junta-backed charter will not...
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Journalist Associations Demand Release of Reporter
BANGKOK — The kingdom’s two leading press clubs issued a joint statement Monday afternoon demanding the immediate release of a reporter detained by authorities.
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Prachatai News Office Raided by Police, Soldiers
BANGKOK — Police and soldiers raided the offices of a pro-democracy news site Tuesday afternoon to search for campaign materials related to the forthcoming charter referendum.
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No More Than 22 Election Observers Expected Nationwide for Referendum
BANGKOK — Up to 22 regional elections observers will observe the Aug. 7 referendum, the chairman of the Election Commission said Tuesday.
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Democrat Party Launches Anti-Charter Campaign? Wait a Minute!
BANGKOK — The Democrat Party appeared to launch a slick online campaign Thursday featuring its top leaders criticizing and opposing the draft charter promoted by the junta, complete with the party’s...
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Auguring Aug. 8: Rejecting Charter Courts Uncertain Scenarios
BANGKOK — Three Sundays from now, the polls will open for the public to vote on the controversial charter drafted under junta guidance, and one of the biggest guessing games is what will happen if...
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Local Police Chief Loses Job For Not Reporting 8-Year-Old Vandals
KAMPHAENG PHET — When two 8-year-old girls ripped a voter registration notice from a board near their school in Kamphaeng Phet province because they wanted the pink-colored paper, local police...
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Soldiers Visit Northern Residents Over Vote-No Tees
PHRAE — A group of residents of the northern province of Phrae were ordered to appear Thursday morning and answer questions about a group photo showing them wearing T-shirts opposing the draft...
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