<p><em>To commemorate the first year of the the New Democracy Movement, the up and coming anti-junta youth activists, Prachatai reviewed the development and achievements of the movement during the past year. Talking to the prominent members of the group on the future direction of the movement, a co-leader claims that they are currently the national opposer of the junta.</em></p> <div> </div>

<p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ee7b0490-e785-17fc-f410-235223b8a496">Considering the climate of fear and repression, the success of a protest march commemorating the 2014 coup has raised questions about the government crackdown on political discussion. Although answers differ, it can be agreed that the presence of the event is a good sign.</span></p> <p></p>

<p>Minor skirmishes erupted between anti-coup and pro-junta groups as people gathered to commemorate the 2nd anniversary of the 2014 coup d’état.</p> <p>On Sunday evening, 22 May 2016, about 500 people led by members of the New Democracy Movement (NDM) and several other pro-democracy political activist groups marched from Thammasat University, Tha Prachan Campus, to the Democracy Monument in Bangkok in an event called ‘2 Years with the Future that People Did Not Choose’.</p>

<p>Draft charter only prolongs junta power: New Democracy Movement</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The New Democracy Movement (NDM), a youth pro-democracy activist group, has faulted the junta-sponsored draft constitution, concluding that the draft prolongs Thai junta rule.</p> <p>The NDM on Sunday, 15 May 2016, organised a public seminar on the junta-sponsored draft constitution at Thammasat University, Tha Prachan Campus, Bangkok,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.lokwannee.com/web2013/?p=218822">Lokwanee News reported</a>.</p>

<p>Leading women's rights advocacy groups in Thailand are urging the authorities to stop forcing pelvic examinations on female detainees.</p> <p>16 women’s rights organisations, including the Friends of Women Foundation, the Women's Movement in Thai Political Reform (WeMove), the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies of Mahidol University and the Foundation for SOGI Rights and Justice, on Friday, 13 May 2016, submitted a joint statement to Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, the junta leader and Prime Minister, and Gen Paiboon Khumchaya, the Minister of Justice.</p>

<p>Police have charged activists for violating the public cleanliness act by posting messages on post-its for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prachatai.org/english/category/the-eight-abducted-junta-critics">the eight abducted junta critics&nbsp;</a>while a few were interrogated for participating in the same activity.</p>

<p>The Military Court has detained a supporter of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prachatai.org/english/category/the-eight-abducted-junta-critics">the eight abducted junta critics</a>. &nbsp;He is accused by the junta’s legal team of lѐse majesté.</p> <p>The Military Court of Bangkok on Saturday morning, 30 April 2016, granted police permission to detain Burin Intin, who was arrested by the police on Wednesday evening for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prachatai.org/english/node/6091">gathering with 15 other activists to show solidarity with the abducted junta critics</a>.</p>

<p>Thai police have detained 16 activists for standing still to show solidarity with&nbsp;<a href="http://prachatai.org/english/node/6087">10 persons abducted earlier by the military</a>. One of the 16 was later taken away by the military after the arrest.</p> <p>Police officers at about 6:30 pm on Wednesday, 27 April 2016, arrested 16 people for gathering at the Victory Monument in Bangkok and standing still to show solidarity with 10 people abducted by the military on Wednesday morning.</p>

<p>The Thai military has abducted 10 people in Bangkok and the northeastern province of Khon Kaen in the junta’s latest crackdown on political dissidents. &nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p>According to&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/KAO_VoiceTV21/status/725215022029279232">a reporter from Voice TV</a>, Col Winthai Suwaree, spokesperson of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), said that the military on Wednesday morning, 27 April 2016, detained 10 people in total.</p>

<p>Police officers confiscated campaign flyers against the junta-sponsored draft constitution from an academic and attempted to take her to a police station.</p> <p>At around 4 pm on Monday, 25 April 2016, police officers confiscated flyers titled ‘7 Reasons Not to Accept the Draft Constitution’ from Bencharat Sae-Chua, a political scientist teaching at Mahidol University, at a forum on the double questions on the draft constitution at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.</p>

<p>The Military Court has for the second time issued arrest warrants for anti-junta activists calling for an investigation into corruption allegations concerning a park constructed by the Royal Thai Army.</p>

<p>Arrest warrants against&nbsp;<strong>Sirawit Seritiwat</strong>,&nbsp;<strong>Chonthicha Jaeung-Rew</strong>,<strong>&nbsp;Chanoknan Ruamsap</strong>,&nbsp;<strong>Korakot Saengyenpan&nbsp;</strong>and<strong>&nbsp;Abhisit Sapnaphapan&nbsp;</strong>were issued on 13 January 2016 by the Bangkok Military Court. The human rights defenders were accused of having held a political gathering of more than five persons on 7 December 2015, without official authorization. The five human rights defenders were arrested on 20 and 21 January 2016, and released on 21 and 22 January 2016.</p>