03/06/2011

THAILAND: Criminalization of free speech ahead of election

"In May 2011, the government of Thailand announced that the country would go to a national election on July 3. It might have been expected that this announcement would result in a lessening of the threats against, and arrests of, persons trying to exercise free speech. In fact, the opposite is the case. Since the announcement over three weeks ago, the government seems to have gone into overdrive in its efforts to criminalize free speech, shutting down radio stations and ordering the arrest of dissident voices on the pretext that they are anti-royalist...."

URL Link: http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-STM-074-2011

Author Organisation: Asian Human Rights Commission