This was a  busy week on the frontlines of personal freedom, particularly in regards to free speech. Tying together several key events were government’s increasingly sophisticated restrictions on our human rights, and the efforts to push them back. For obvious reasons, freedom of speech is dear to this writer, and this week’s post addresses the past week’s developments.

On 24 Dec, Phairoj Pholphet, Chair of the NGO Coordinating Committee, led a group of NGO workers and members of people’s organizations petitioned the Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation to adopt the case of the shooting of an NGO worker in Songkhla.

Thai Netizen Network demands Thai authorities to make clarification on the recent arrests of internet users, including Nat Sattayapornpisut in whose case the authorities are asked to disclose the means of accessing e-mail accounts and the law that entitled them to do so, 'since this matter may have violated people’s right to privacy and freedom to communicate'.

According to the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), the case of Kiettisak Thitboonkrong was sent to the Criminal Court in Bangkok in September 2009. Six police officers have been accused of premeditated murder and of concealing Kiettisak's corpse to hide the cause of death. The first trial will be opened on 19 October 2009 in the Criminal Court, Bangkok, Thailand. The AHRC asks supporters in Bangkok to attend the trial as observers. 

The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) is seeking more cooperation from relevant agencies and business groups to prevent inappropriate content on the internet.  The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) says the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) is authorized to withdraw or suspend the licenses of the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who do not cooperate in blocking inappropriate web pages.