The Terrorist Hunters injunction

An injunction, requested by the British government against a new book, has been granted pending a ruling by the High Court next week. The book in question, The Terrorist Hunters: The Definitive Inside Story Of Britain's Fight Against Terror by Andy Hayman and Margaret Gilmore, cannot currently be published in the UK. Extracts from the book have, however, already been printed in The Times, on 22nd June.

The Economist unavailable yet again

For the fifth time in less than a year, The Economist will not be distributed in Thailand. The issue dated 4th July contains an article titled Treason In Cyberspace, which discusses several pending lese majeste cases; the article does not contain any inflammatory material, though the magazine's distributors are presumably erring on the side of caution.

Interestingly, the article includes several details (Suwicha Thakhor's username: Thaiman 8; the topic of the prachatai.com comment: Queen Sirikit) not published in the Thai media. It also reports new tallies of blocked websites: apparently, 8,300 are blocked by MICT due to potential lese majeste, and a further 32,500 are blocked by the police. These totals are slightly higher than the latest figures announced by MICT.

Four previous issues of The Economist have been withdrawn in recent months: in December 2008, in January 2009, in January 2009 (again!), and in April 2009.

Nymph

In Pen-Ek Rattanaruang's Nymph, a young married couple take a camping trip to the forest. Nop communes with nature and photographs the surrounding trees, while his wife May is more interested in her cellphone signal, calling Korn, her lover back in Bangkok.

Nop and May's marriage is clearly going stale, as was the central relationship in Pen-Ek's previous film, Ploy. Nymph, its original version as premiered at Cannes, also share's Ploy's slow pace, sparse dialogue, and ambient soundtrack.

Nop becomes fascinated by one tree in particular, caressing its trunk as if it were a woman's body. He sees a nude woman in the distance, and follows her deeper into the forest. The woman he sees is perhaps the same woman who killed two rapists in the film's impressive prologue, with the camera swooping through trees and over a river. The woman may also be a spirit (the nymph of the film's English title) who personifies the unusually compelling tree.

Exactly what happens to Nop remains ambiguous. He seems to disappear, though later he apparently returns to the couple's house. As in Nang Nak, the returning spouse may not have returned at all; Nop may, in fact, have become a forest spirit himself, as does the missing boy in Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Tropical Malady.

Pen-Ek has also prepared a shorter version of Nymph, which has been given a wider release. This version makes slight trims to many scenes, shortening the dialogue-free stretches which multiplex audiences may have viewed as longueurs.

Some sequences, such as Korn leaving his wife, and Korn and May praying to the tree, have been removed because they are already referred to in the dialogue: the audience knows that they have happened, so it is not necessary to actually show them.

Also, to enable the characters to reach the forest as quickly as possible, several scenes from the beginning of the film are deleted in their entirety. These include sequences in a photography shop (where Nop discusses his plan to visit the forest), a hotel (where May surreptitiously telephones Korn), and the car journey to the forest (during which May ignores Nop and answers phone calls from work). The result is that May and Nop's relationship seems to deteriorate only when they reach the forest, whereas in the original version it is clear that their marriage is in trouble even before they begin their trip.

At least one key shot has been cut: we hear a loud noise, and later see Korn's bandaged hand, though without the shot of the broken glass (present in the original), it is not clear that Korn smashed the window of May's car.

The shorter version certainly has a faster pace, though the most noticeable change relates to the soundtrack: to create a conventional horror film atmosphere, music has been added to many scenes, whereas there was no music at all on the original soundtrack.

The Spectator's 50 Essential Films

The Spectator, in its 20th June and 27th June issues, has published its list of 50 Essential Films, as follows:

1. The Night Of The Hunter
2. Apocalypse Now
3. Sunrise
4. Black Narcissus
5. L'Avventura
6. The Searchers
7. The Magnificent Ambersons
8. The Seventh Seal
9. L'Atalante
10. Rio Bravo
11. The Godfather I-II
12. The Passion Of Joan Of Arc
13. Grand Illusion
14. Citizen Kane
15. The Scarlet Empress
16. Tokyo Story
17. Blade Runner
18. Rear Window
19. Point Blank
20. The Red Shoes
21. Mme De...
22. Shadows
23. Pickpocket
24. Viridiana
25. Barry Lyndon
26. City Lights
27. Pierrot Le Fou
28. Sunset Blvd
29. Notorious
30. M
31. The Roaring Twenties
32. Singin' In The Rain
33. The Long Day Closes
34. Killer Of Sheep
35. Gun Crazy
36. Andrei Rublev
37. Taxi Driver
38. The 400 Blows
39. Pulp Fiction
40. Kind Hearts & Coronets
41. In The Mood For Love
42. Sullivan's Travels
43. 8-&-A-Half
44. Pinocchio
45. Great Expectations
46. Rome: Open City
47. Duck Soup
48. Jaws
49. Manhattan
50. Out Of The Past

Most directors are represented by only a single film, though Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock have two each, and Francis Coppola has three. One oversight: nothing by Akira Kurosawa. Foreign-language films are quite well represented, though there are only two silent films. Twelve films from this list are also on my own list of 30 essential films.

Rediscovering Spiritual Value

Rediscovering Spiritual Value: Alternative To Consumerism From A Siamese Buddhist Perspective is a collection of recent articles and speeches by Sulak Sivaraksa. Significantly, it includes an English translation of an interview in which Sulak discusses the Thai monarchy, originally published in a banned edition of the Thai journal Same Sky. An excerpt from The Economist's controversial Thai monarchy critique is also included, as are letters written by Sulak defending himself against various lese majeste charges.

Jakrapob linked to new lese majeste charge

A Thai citizen, Luksana Kornsilpa, has filed lese majeste charges against Jonathan Head and the entire FCCT committee, based on their selling DVD copies of a speech by Jakrapob Penkair.

Jakrapob gave an FCCT speech in 2007, in which he criticised the traditional patronage system. This prompted criticism and veiled threats from army chief Anupong, and eventually led to Jakrapob's resignation from the cabinet. Jakrapob himself is facing a lese majeste charge as a result of his speech.

In addition to the new charge filed by Luksana, BBC correspondent Jonathan Head is already facing two charges filed by Wattanasak Mungkandee in December and June 2008.

South Korean cartoonist faces prosecution

A cartoonist in South Korea is facing a fine equivalent to $100,000 after his local council filed a complaint with the police. The cartoonist, Choi, inserted insulting comments about South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak into a cartoon in the Happy Wonju newsletter, distributed last month.

artist's Turkish acquittal overturned

Artist Michael Dickinson now faces new charges of insulting Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish Prime Minister, relating to his collage titled Good Boy which portrays the PM as a dog. Dickinson was previously acquitted of all charges relating to Good Boy and an earlier collage, Best In Show.

Turkish novelist acquitted of blasphemy

Turkish writer Nedim Gursel has been acquitted of blasphemy, after charges brought by a private citizen were finally dismissed. The charges related to his novel The Daughters Of Allah, published last year.

Bahrainian newspaper suspended

Bahranian authorities have suspended publication of Akhbar Al Khaleej, after the newspaper printed an article (The Islamic Republic: Vehement Public Anger, by Samira Rajab) which criticised Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election.

Jordanian poet jailed

Islam Samhan, arrested in Jordan last October and charged with blasphemy in relation to his poetry book Grace Like A Shadow, has now been sentenced to a year in jail.

UDD speakers facing lese majeste charges

Today's Bangkok Post reports that several UDD members are facing lese majeste charges following speeches they made at a Sanam Luang rally on Tuesday and Wednesday. Da Torpedo is currently undergoing an in-camera trial on a similar charge.

Da Torpedo's secret trial

The trial of Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul, known as Da Torpedo, began yesterday at Bangkok's Criminal Court, though the judge ordered that all journalists and members of the public must leave the court in the interests of "national security". ('National security' is a convenient catch-all term, used to defend secrecy by authorities here and elsewhere.)

The Bangkok Post newspaper is so compliant that it relied on a Reuters agency report rather than sending its own journalists to cover the trial. It even abbreviated the Reuters article from twenty paragraphs to only three, retaining a quotation from the judge though deleting all of Daranee's quotes.

Russian artist arrested

A Russian artist, Alexander Shednov, also known as Shurik, has been arrested after he projected an image of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's face and a woman's body onto the side of a building in Voronezh on 12th June.

Giles Ungpakorn's video deleted by YouTube

A video by Giles Ji Ungpakorn has been deleted by YouTube, apparently at the request of MICT. The video, now hosted by wdpress.blog.co.uk, criticises the military and the PAD.

Senegal bans L'Essentiel magazine

The current issue of L'Essentiel magazine has been banned in Senegal, after a court ruled that it insulted the government and had the potential to create public disorder. Senegambia News reports that L'Essentiel featured headlines such as "Freemasonry: The Grand Lodge of France Conquers Senegal" and "Nine years after change, the state explodes, The Mourides are in control and Touba in suffering" [sic.].

two men arrested for leaflet distribution

Two Thai men, Abdulloh Samae and Mafari Ma, have been arrested in Narathiwat, for distributing leaflets accusing the government of orchestrating a massacre at a mosque in the province.

Inside Time withdrawn over cartoon

The current issue of Inside Time, a magazine for UK prisoners, has been withdrawn following complaints about an opinion column. The article (Porky's Revenge!, by Andy Thackwray) satirically suggests that swine flu is part of a Taliban plot, and is illustrated by a cartoon of Osama as a pig. The 'offensive' text and cartoon have now been deleted from the magazine's website, and all printed copies of the magazine have been withdrawn from circulation.

Dr Strangelove in high-definition

Dr Strangelove has been released on Blu-Ray, in a 45th anniversary edition. The image is 1.66:1 throughout, and the original mono soundtrack is included. The picture quality is an improvement on the overly dark 40th anniversary DVD edition.

exteen.com webmaster interviewed by police

Theepakorn Wutthiphitthayamongkol, editor of the popular Thai blogging website exteen.com, has been questioned by police acting on information supplied by MICT.

An exteen.com user posted a potentially lese majeste comment on the site in August 2007, MICT alerted Theepakorn to the comment, and he immediately deleted it, less than a day after it was originally posted. Then, two years later, MICT contacted the police about the case, and Theepakorn was interviewed. Theepakorn provided the police with the IP address of the user who originally posted the comment, despite the Computer Crime Act's stipulation that IP addresses should be retained for only 90 days.

Thai Rath's David Carradine photo

On Saturday, the sensationalist Thai Rath newspaper published, on its front page, a photograph allegedly showing David Carradine's body at the scene of his death. (His body was discovered in his hotel wardrobe on Thursday.)

The image was partially censored, with a black moire pattern added to cover the body. (Incredibly, this pattern has led some international news sources, who have clearly not seen the photo, to claim that Carradine died wearing fishnet stockings.) The same image was also printed on an inside page with only slight pixelation.

Since the photograph was published, Carradine's family have threatened legal action against any subsequent reproduction. Consequently, no other publication has printed the image, and it has been removed from Thai Rath's website.

There is some speculation that the image is a fake, as it appears to show a relatively young man with black hair. The position of the corpse is consistent with police reports that Carradine was discovered hanged and tied up in an apparent act of auto-erotic asphyxiation. Several seemingly genuine photographs taken after Carradine's autopsy have appeared online, though they have not appeared in any print publlications.

World Comedy Film Festival 2009

Bangkok will host the inaugural World Comedy Film Festival later this month (10th to 16th June; thailandworldcomedyfilm.com) at Paragon Cineplex and SF CentralWorld. The event has been postponed twice, and an ambitious early announcement, that Stephen Chow and Rowan Atkinson would be attending, has been quietly dropped.

The most interesting film in the programme is With Gilbert & George (screening on 12th and 16th June), a portrait of the artists filmed by Julian Cole over a seventeen-year period. But it's an art documentary, not a comedy. (The artists were the inspiration for several murals at Bangkok's Siam Center mall.)

PAD rebrands as New Politics Party

The PAD's plans to form a political party have now been confirmed, with the formation of the New Politics Party. The new party is based on the PAD's deeply anti-democratic 'New Politics' concept, and will be led by Somsak Kosaisuk.

sameskybooks.org blocked again

Pages on the Same Sky forum, sameskybooks.org, are being intermittently blocked again by MICT. The site was reported to police last year, after being accused of lese majeste, and it was added to MICT blocklists in 2008 and 2009; it was blocked in September and December last year, and was even briefly shut down in January.

another prize-winning monk/crow portrait

Anupong Chantorn, famous for his painting representing monks as crows, is currently exhibiting a similar drawing at the 2nd Bangkok Triennale. Anupong's earlier painting won first prize at the 53rd National Exhibition and inspired a butoh dance performance, San-Dan-Ka. His new drawing, Hope In The Dark, has won the Triennale Prize, and is showing at Bangkok Art & Cultural Centre from 14th May until 14th June.

quote of the day

The PAD's undemocratic 'New Politics' concept has been revived, as there are now plans for the PAD to form a political party.

In today's Bangkok Post, Veera Prateepchaikul discusses the PAD's policy proposals: "[a PAD] core leader, Phipob Thongchai, said earlier that under "new politics" there would be radical land reform so that every Thai citizen would own a piece of land and be able to make a living. He cited the case of North Korea, saying that although the country is poor and its people are starving, the North Koreans can pride themselves in owning a small piece of land".

Incredible. The PAD's leaders officially want to make Thailand more like North Korea. Do they know anything about politics or economics at all?

The 67 Most Influential Films Ever Made

The current issue of Total Film magazine features an unordered list titled The 67 Most Influential Films Ever Made, as follows:

• Jaws
  
• 2001: A Space Odyssey
  
• Night Of The Living Dead
  
• The Man With The Golden Arm
  
• All Quiet On The Western Front
  
• Nanook Of The North
  
• The Abyss
  
• Enter The Dragon
  
• Blood Feast
  
• Heaven's Gate
  
• Easy Rider
  
• Star Wars
  
• The Graduate
  
• Tron
  
• Becky Sharp
  
• Carrie
  
• Reservoir Dogs
  
• Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs
  
• Gertie The Dinosaur
  
• The Adventures Of Prince Achmed
  
• Metropolis
  
• Battleship Potemkin
  
• Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
  
• The Evil Dead
  
• Flashdance
  
• Blade Runner
  
• Workers Leaving The Factory
  
• A Streetcar Named Desire
  
• Breathless
  
• Meet Me In St Louis
  
• Blazing Saddles
  
• Stagecoach
  
• Nashville
  
• The Last Laugh
  
• Deep Throat
  
• Room At The Top
  
• The Battle Of Algiers
  
• Sex Lies & Videotape
  
• The Cable Guy
  
• The Cabinet Of Dr Caligari
  
• Shadows
  
• Rashomon
  
• Do The Right Thing
  
• Blackboard Jungle
  
• Psycho
  
• The Birth Of A Nation
  
• The Wild Bunch
  
• Mean Streets
  
• Batman
  
• Halloween
  
• The Jazz Singer
  
• Toy Story
  
• Terminator II: Judgment Day
  
• Pink Flamingos
  
• Twister
  
• Citizen Kane
  
• The Thief Of Bagdad
  
• The Matrix
  
• The Robe
  
• It Happened One Night
  
• Bwana Devil
  
• L'Assassinat Du Duc DeGuise
  
• Cabiria
  
• Le Roman D'Un Tricheur
  
• Un Chien Andalou
  
• Victim
  
• The Blair Witch Project

It's great to see so many silent films included, though there's no Film Noir, no Neo-Realism, and (most surprisingly) nothing by Francis Ford Coppola. Twister, the only entry I take exception to, was included simply because it was the first film released on DVD in the UK. Total Film previously published lists of 100 films in 2005 and 2006.

gambling websites blocked

A court order has been obtained by MICT authorising the blocking of various gambling websites. Yesterday's Bangkok Post reported that seventy-two sites were affected, though only forty-two sites appear on the MICT blacklist:

1. ibcbet.com
2. mansion88.com
3. mansion99.com
4. step9999.com
5. 368sb.com
6. boombet.info
7. vip2541.com
8. afb88.com
9. mmmbet.net
10. gclubinternational.com
11. royal1688.com
12. bacc168.com
13. holiday-palace.com
14. lv.bos88.com
15. gd99.org/greendragonweb
16. gdc8888.com
17. sandbet.com
18. bettowin-online.com
19. u-winn.com
20. superclub99.com
21. crazysocceronline.com
22. ball2day.com
23. betline88.com
24. hengbet88.com
25. soccersupersports.com
26. mariobet.com
27. phantacy.net
28. poipet88.com
29. sports108.com
30. lucky2u.net/casino_review.html
31. ballvip999.com
32. kingswin.com
33. sportsforexclusive.com
34. torlong.com
35. sportclick.org
36. pen-tor.com
37. 777m.cn
38. asetzone.com
39. sbobet.com
40. lucky2u.com
41. sandbet.com
42. 88suncity.com

PAD court case dismissed

Yesterday, the Civil Court dismissed a case relating to the PAD's occupation of Government House. The case was submitted to the Court on 27th August last year, one day after Government House was seized by the PAD. The PAD continued to occupy Government House for over three months, finally vacating the building on 1st December.

Incredibly, the case has been dismissed because Government House is not currently being besieged by the PAD. So apparently the three-month occupation doesn't count, because it's not happening right now? Will the PAD ever be convicted of anything, or will their magic yellow immunity last forever?

Thaksin faces lese majeste charge

Thaksin will be charged with lese majeste in the next few days, according to the Bangkok Post. The charge apparently relates to interviews he gave on 12th and 13th April, presumably his direct appeal to the King via CNN.

It's surprising that his mid-April interviews have been cited, because he was actually more outspoken in further interviews a few days later, most notably in his explosive Financial Times interview.

Bangkok Bananas

The Bangkok Bananas arts festival ended today (having started on 30th April). It featured Cine-Bananas, a series of outdoor film screenings including the silent documentary Chang (accompanied by a live orchestra), filmed in Thailand by the directors of King Kong (Merian C Cooper and Ernest B Schoedsack).

The festival's finale this evening, Spooky Night, featured a collection of horror films, including Vampire, a short film by Apichatpong Weerasethakul commissioned by Louis Vuitton. Apichatpong discussed the making of Vampire at Tomyam Pladib last March, and screened it at Alliance Francaise last July.

Stories On Human Rights

Stories On Human Rights, an evening of film screenings, will take place at the FCCT in Bangkok on 4th May. The films were commissioned by the United Nations, and the programme includes Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Mobile Men. Apichatpong will be present for a Q&A session after the screenings.

FACT now unblocked

FACT, the anti-censorship blog blocked in Thailand last week, is now unblocked. Apparently it was blocked by MICT following a request by the police, along with various pro-UDD websites which were also blocked and later unblocked.

Finnish politician charged with blasphemy

Finnish politician Jussi Halla-Aho has been charged with blasphemy, after he wrote on his blog (halla-aho.com/scripta) that Mohammed was a paedophile. [Mohammed married his third wife, Aisha, when she was a child, a marriage which has been portrayed in a Dutch cartoon and an American novel.] Halla-Aho's comments were an expression of solidarity for a right-wing Finnish extremist, Seppo Lehto, who was jailed last year.

UDD websites unblocked

MICT has unblocked the pro-UDD websites which were blocked two weeks ago, since the emergency decree has been lifted.

MICT's list of 'red' sites, circulated to Thai ISPs, includes some sites which were not actually blocked. It also features several duplicate entries: #43 and #71 are the same, for example.

Most of the sites feature the same streamed video and audio material (UDD radio and TV networks), though there are also a handful of blogs on the list:

1. justin.tv/nationsiam
2. konthai.org
3. thaifreenews.com/
4. thairedshirt-democracy.org/cbox/s1.html
5. democracytoday.tv
6. thaipeoplevoice.org
7. freethais.com/update_13apr09.php
8. wered.net
9. redplus.org
10. thaienews.blogspot.com
11. prachachonthai.com
12. cbnpress.com
13. uddtoday.ning.com
14. thaireduk.com
15. nocoup.net
16. downmerng.blogspot.com
17. jakrapob.net
18. truethaksin.com
19. chupong.com
20. rednon.com
21. chupong.org
22. serichon.com
23. nationsiam.com/Special
24. gmm2008.com/index.php
25. thaksin.wordpress.com
26. thaipresslog.blogspot.com
27. thaiopinions.blogspot.com
28. newskythailand.com
29. sites.google.com/site/prachathaiclub/Home
30. siamfreedom.blogspot.com
31. priority-radio.com
32. cbox.ws
33. www3.cbox.ws/box
34. no-ip.org
35. ptv.no-ip.org/mvtv_5
36. baygon2.no-ip.org/TPV1
37. baygon2.no-ip.org/livetv
38. chupong.no-ip.org/chupong
39. dstation.tv
40. 365boxstv.com/tvonline_varietyone-link2.html
41. redplusplus.com
42. salidausa.com
43. redplusplus.com
44. windowscare.in.th/index.php
45. norporchorusa.com
46. dstation.tv
47. sanamluang.in.th
47. 61.19.241.228
48. 61.19.241.237
49. rednews.info
50. rednews.info/live/sanamluang-2.htm
51. democraticthai.com
52. badict.2hell.com
54. thairedusa.com
55. 365boxs.com/tvonline_varietyone.html
56. salidausa.com
57. prachachonthai.listen2myradio.com
58. nationsiam.com
59. chupong-radio.com
60. 365boxs.com/tvonline_varietyone.html
61. prachachonthai.net
62. chubthaksin.com
63. shinawatradio.com
64. thairedshirt-democracy.org
65. arayachon.org
66. 365boxs.com/tvonline_varietyone.html
68. shaowdin.blogspot.com
69. redplusplus.net
70. salidausa.com
71. redplusplus.com

FACT blocked

CJ Hinke's FACT blog (facthai.wordpress.com) is now blocked in Thailand. TOT blocked it this morning, followed by the other major Thai ISPs later in the day.

anatomical exhibition banned in Paris

Our Body: A Corps Ouvert, an exhibition of seventeen plastinated human corpses, has been closed down on the orders of a French court. It opened in Paris on 12th February, and was due to run until 10th May, though a judge ruled that it was a disrespectful use of human cadavers. The exhibition features real bodies with exposed muscles, and is one of several imitators of the original Bodyworlds exhibition, which opened more than a decade ago.

state of emergency lifted

The state of emergency in Bangkok and surrounding provinces, imposed earlier this month, was lifted today. Three UDD leaders (Veera Musikhapong, Weng Tochirakarn, and Nattawut Saikur), arrested ten days ago, have now been released on bail.

Abhisit supports political amnesty

Abhisit has announced that, in the interests of national reconciliation, he is in favour of amending the constitution and thus granting amnesties to party executives who have been banned from politics. Many senior politicians (including, of course, Thaksin) have received five-year political bans following the dissolutions of TRT, PPP, and other parties.

Constitutional amendment was previously considered by former PM Samak, in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid the dissolution of his party. The current constitution was drafted by an army-appointed committee, and one of the central demands of the UDD was for a return to the more democratic 1997 constitution. However, members of the military drafting committee have already warned Abhisit against any amendments, threatening a coup if the constitution is changed.

15 Most Influential Classic Movies

TCM's fifteen most influential classic movies:

• The Birth Of A Nation
  
• Battleship Potemkin
  
• Metropolis
  
• 42nd Street
  
• It Happened One Night
  
• Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs
  
• Gone With The Wind
  
• Stagecoach
  
• Citizen Kane
  
• Bicycle Thieves
  
• Rashomon
  
• The Searchers
  
• Breathless
  
• Psycho
  
• Star Wars

This chronological list was compiled by Turner Classic Movies last week. Almost half of these titles (Battleship Potemkin, Citizen Kane, Rashomon, The Searchers, Breathless, and Psycho) are also on my own list of 30 essential films, and most of TCM's choices deserve a place on any such list.

I would only quibble with a couple of their choices: is It Happened One Night really necessary on such a short list, and surely Stagecoach could be removed if The Searchers is included? Also, nothing from Stanley Kubrick, Ingmar Bergman, Francis Coppola, or Jean Renoir.

Thaksin drops another bombshell

For the first time in public, Thaksin has claimed that the King knew in advance about the 2006 coup. Thaksin had previously accused General Prem, head of the Privy Council, of plotting the coup with Surayud Chulanont and others. Now, in an interview published yesterday in the Financial Times, Thaksin has stated that Prem, Surayud, and "another privy councillor" (Charnchai Likitjittha?) "told his majesty that they will do [a] favour for him by getting me".

arrested for copying leaflets

Thossaporn Ruethaiprasertsung has been charged with lese majeste after she photocopied some leaflets at a shop in Nakhon Ratchasima, north-eastern Thailand. This case echoes that of Kitti Saensukrotewong, who is facing charges for leaflet distribution.

nude portraits banned in Vietnam

An exhibition of twelve paintings by Nguyen Kim Dinh, due to open on 10th April in Hue, Vietnam, has been cancelled. The portraits, depicting female nudes, were deemed 'inappropriate'.

The Economist withdrawn yet again

Yet again, the distributors of The Economist have decided to cancel its Thai distribution. The forthcoming issue, due to be published on Saturday, will thus not be available in Thailand. The distributors felt that an article titled The Trouble With The King would contravene the lese majeste law, and they have withdrawn the magazine to avoid potential prosecution. The Economist has suffered a similar fate three times in recent months: in December 2008, in January 2009, and in January 2009 (again!).

UDD radio stations closed

Three UDD community radio stations, based in Lampang, Chiang Mai, and Udon Thani, were closed today. The UDD TV channel D-Station, and several pro-UDD websites, are also currently blocked.

petition for Suwicha

An online petition (rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=30785) has been launched in support of Suwicha Thakhor, who was arrested in January under the Computer Crime Act and subsequently sentenced to ten years in prison.

Cheeranuch faces nine more charges

Cheeranuch Premchaiphorn, webmaster of prachatai.com, now faces nine more charges under the Computer Crime Act. She was arrested last month.