Showing 61 - 70 of 357
In Laos, price of free speech a heavy one
News, Published on 20/02/2020
» The imprisonment of Houayheuang "Muay" Xayabouly, a young, female Lao environmentalist turned internet activist who simply asked for help for flood victims, should be a matter of deep concern to the international community.
Baby steps in jail reform
News, Editorial, Published on 30/01/2020
» The government's move to ease overcrowding in prisons, albeit a long-overdue mission, is praiseworthy.
Don't drop 'Billy' murder charges
News, Editorial, Published on 26/01/2020
» The decision of public prosecutors to spare former Kaeng Krachan National Park chief Chaiwat Limlikit-aksorn and his team from murder and other serious charges in the missing Karen activist case has caused a stir, and also poses serious questions regarding the standard of the country's justice system.
Don't worsen political woes
News, Editorial, Published on 22/01/2020
» The Constitutional Court's decision to acquit the Future Forward Party (FFP) of seeking to overthrow the monarchy on Tuesday offered a reprieve not just for the party but also for a boiling political climate. However, the slew of legal hurdles awaiting the FFP, its leaders and political activists in the coming months are a reminder to the international community that political turbulence in Thailand is here to stay.
Criminal libel laws go too far
News, Editorial, Published on 27/12/2019
» A recent libel case against a journalist, which saw her sentenced to two years in jail for her comment on workers' grievances at Thammakaset Co's poultry farm, speaks volumes about how harsh the punishments are under the Criminal Code's provisions for defamation.
Penal system gets it wrong
News, Editorial, Published on 19/12/2019
» The case of "Thailand's Jack the Ripper", a paroled serial killer arrested on Wednesday while attempting to escape his latest alleged sex and murder crime, demonstrates a serious loophole in a criminal justice process that cannot effectively prevent re-offending.
Suu Kyi faces spotlight in Rohingya genocide trial
News, Larry Jagan, Published on 11/12/2019
» Today, international attention is firmly focused on Aung San Suu Kyi as she faces the judges in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague and presents Myanmar's side of the story.
The 7-decade battle for universal human rights
News, Published on 10/12/2019
» In today's splintered world, it is tempting to assume that there is absolutely nothing upon which all nations can agree and all cultures can embrace as an integral part of their communities. But International Human Rights Day, celebrated on Dec 10, reminds us that it wasn't so long ago that the world came together to do exactly that. On Dec 10, 1948, the United Nations unanimously adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a set of rights to which all individuals are entitled. Rights such as being free from torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. Rights like freedom of religion or belief. The freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. The right to form and join trade unions. Under the UDHR, every human being in the world can claim these as their own birthright, no matter their citizenship or allegiance.
Apply law of the land to all
News, Editorial, Published on 29/11/2019
» The poor had it before. They were accused of encroaching on protected forests or national parks. Thirteen landless forest dwellers were convicted of forest encroachment by the Appeal Court this year and sentenced to imprisonment. Now, an MP from the ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), Pareena Kraikupt is facing an accusation of committing a similar offence. Given the influence of the PPRP, all eyes are now on law enforcement officers over whether there will be "double standards" in their handling of the case.
Hun Sen's media witch-hunt must end
News, Published on 11/11/2019
» Almost two years after their arrest on outlandish charges of "espionage", two of Cambodia's finest journalists are snared by a government assault on free expression. At the heart of their legal woes is their past work for Radio Free Asia, a US-funded broadcaster that has long been a trusted source of independent news in the country.