<p><a href="http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1405599501&typecate=06&section=">Khaosod English</a>: Thailand’s military regime has suspended local elections and announced plans to replace elected officials with bureaucrats in a move that further centralises its power over the country's provinces.</p>
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<div>The Criminal Court will start hearing two lese majeste cases this Wednesday and in mid August, according to <a href="http://freedom.ilaw.or.th/en">iLaw</a>, an Internet-based human rights advocacy group. </div>
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<div>In the first case, a man in his twenties, was arrested and charged with lese majeste and offences under the Computer Crime Act.
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<div>Thai authorities have released the woman protester who held “Long Live USA Day” placard on 4 July at the US Embassy after detaining her for five days. </div>
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<div>On the US Independence Day on 4 July, Chaowanat Musikabhumi, aka “Nong,”, 52, gathered with other protesters at the Embassy to show support for the US. During the gathering, she was detained twice by plain-clothes officers, but was then released. On 6 July, about ten military and police officers later arrested her at her house in eastern Bangkok.
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<p>The junta reportedly instructed the Thai Foreign Ministry to revoke the Thai passport of Pavin Chachavalpongpun, an anti-coup well-known Thai scholar, who is now teaching at Kyoto University, Japan. </p>
<p>The cancellation of Pavin's passport is due to his failure to report himself to the junta's 's National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) after he was ordered to summon twice. The authorities later issued an arrest warrant against him on 13 June. </p>
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<div>The BBC will re-open its Thai-language service for three months to provide alternative news after local media have been censored by the junta, according to <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/10955996/BBC-takes-on-Thailand-dictatorship-with-a-pop-up-Thai-service.html">the Telegraph</a>. </div>
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<div>The Telegraph reported on Wednesday that the operation will start this Thursday and will available only on a digital platform.</div>
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<div>“The BBC Thai initiative is a three-month experiment in how to respon
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<div>The police have charged Thanat Thanawatcharanon, aka Tom Dundee, a country singer-turned-red-shirt activist, with lèse majesté and offences under the Computer Crime Act. </div>
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<div>About 20 military and police officers, led by the Technology Crime Suppression Division, arrested Tom at his house in Phetchaburi Province on Wednesday. </div>
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<div>Tom’s wife told Prachatai that he was charged over his speeches at two red-shirt rallies, held by Kotee Red Guard, in November 2013.
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<div>Thanapol Eawsakul, editor of the Same Sky academic journal, was released from detention at around 3.50 pm on Wednesday after he was arrested and detained -- for the second time --- on Saturday evening. </div>
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<div>He was forced to sign, again, an agreement stating that he will stop all political activities and stop expressing opinions on politics. </div>
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<div>Police in northern Chiang Rai Province caught a man red-handed after he had torn up a photograph of HM the King, and charged him with lèse majesté, ASTV Manager Online reported on Wednesday. </div>
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<div>Samak Panthe, 49, reportedly tore up a photograph of HM the King which was installed at the gate of Pasak Village in Thoeng District.</div>
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<div>According to the report, Samak resided in the village and confessed that he himself destroyed the photo. </div>
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<div>Thai police arrested a woman protester for showing support for the US in front of the US Embassy in Bangkok on 4 July, Independence Day.</div>
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<div>The police detained Chaowanat Musikabhumi, aka “Nong,” at the Crime Suppressiong Division without charges. </div>
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<div>When she was interrogated by the military and security officers at the Thai Army Club, the military officers told her that by holding a placard reading “Long Live USA Day,” she may have violated Article 112 of the Criminal Code or the lèse majesté law that the placard
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