UPDATES: an image from The Nation:

nation

Statement from the Asian Human Rights Commission is here.

BBC report is here.

Reports from Prachatai are here and here.

Original post:

I have received this brief statement from Ji Ungpakorn. Emails from Bangkok have also mentioned the raid on Prachatai.

At around 3pm today 2 van loads of police raided Prachatai (the independent website newspaper) in Bangkok. They had a warrent for the arrest of Ms Chiranut Prempreecha, Prachatai coordinator. She is accused under the Computer IT Act and she is being questioned by police. Please protest to the Thai Government. Please pass on this information. If you are in the UK., please write to St John’s College Oxford and ask them to cancel the talk on “Democracy” by the Thai Prime Minister on 14th March.

р╣Ар╕зр╕ер╕▓р╕Ыр╕гр╕░р╕бр╕▓р╕У 15.00 р╕Щ. р╣Ар╕Ир╣Йр╕▓р╕лр╕Щр╣Йр╕▓р╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╕Хр╕│р╕гр╕зр╕Ир╕Чр╕▒р╣Йр╕Зр╣Гр╕Щр╣Бр╕ер╕░р╕Щр╕нр╕Бр╣Ар╕Др╕гр╕╖р╣Ир╕нр╕Зр╣Бр╕Ър╕Ъ 5 р╕Др╕Щ р╣Ар╕Ир╣Йр╕▓р╕лр╕Щр╣Йр╕▓р╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╕Хр╕│р╕гр╕зр╕Ир╕лр╕Нр╕┤р╕З 1 р╕Др╕Щ р╣Бр╕ер╕░р╣Ар╕Ир╣Йр╕▓р╕лр╕Щр╣Йр╕▓р╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╣Гр╕Щр╣Ар╕Др╕гр╕╖р╣Ир╕нр╕Зр╣Бр╕Ър╕Ъ 1р╕Др╕Щ р╣Ар╕Фр╕┤р╕Щр╕Чр╕▓р╕Зр╕Фр╣Йр╕зр╕вр╕гр╕Цр╕вр╕Щр╕Хр╣М р╕Ир╕│р╕Щр╕зр╕Щ 2 р╕Др╕▒р╕Щ р╣Ар╕Вр╣Йр╕▓р╣Бр╕кр╕Фр╕Зр╕Хр╕Щр╕Юр╕гр╣Йр╕нр╕бр╕лр╕бр╕▓р╕вр╕Др╣Йр╕Щр╣Бр╕ер╕░р╕лр╕бр╕▓р╕вр╕Ир╕▒р╕Ъ р╕Щ.р╕к. р╕Ир╕╡р╕гр╕Щр╕╕р╕К р╣Ар╕Ыр╕гр╕бр╕Кр╕▒р╕вр╕Юр╕г р╕Ьр╕╣р╣Йр╕Фр╕╣р╣Бр╕ер╣Ар╕зр╣Зр╕Ър╣Др╕Лр╕Хр╣Мр╕Ыр╕гр╕░р╕Кр╕▓р╣Др╕Ч р╕Фр╣Йр╕зр╕вр╕Вр╣Йр╕нр╕лр╕▓р╕Бр╕гр╕░р╕Чр╕│р╕Др╕зр╕▓р╕бр╕Ьр╕┤р╕Фр╕Хр╕▓р╕бр╕бр╕▓р╕Хр╕гр╕▓ 15 р╕Юр╕гр╕░р╕гр╕▓р╕Кр╕Ър╕▒р╕Нр╕Нр╕▒р╕Хр╕┤р╕зр╣Ир╕▓р╕Фр╣Йр╕зр╕вр╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╕Бр╕гр╕░р╕Чр╕│р╕Др╕зр╕▓р╕бр╕Ьр╕┤р╕Фр╣Ар╕Бр╕╡р╣Ир╕вр╕зр╕Бр╕▒р╕Ър╕Др╕нр╕бр╕Юр╕┤р╕зр╣Ар╕Хр╕нр╕гр╣М р╕Вр╕Ур╕░р╕Щр╕╡р╣Йр╕нр╕вр╕╣р╣Ир╕гр╕░р╕лр╕зр╣Ир╕▓р╕Зр╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╕кр╕нр╕Ър╕кр╕зр╕Щ р╣Вр╕Фр╕в р╕Щ.р╕к. р╕Ир╕╡р╕гр╕Щр╕╕р╕К р╕Ыр╕Пр╕┤р╣Ар╕кр╕Шр╣Гр╕лр╣Йр╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╣Гр╕Фр╣Ж р╕Ир╕Щр╕Бр╕зр╣Ир╕▓р╕Ир╕░р╕бр╕╡р╕Чр╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕Др╕зр╕▓р╕бр╣Гр╕лр╣Йр╕Др╕│р╕Ыр╕гр╕╢р╕Бр╕йр╕▓

Meanwhile …

Determined to reclaim Thailand’s position as a country that values press freedom the most in Asia, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has vowed to push for laws that provide the media the needed protection to perform its functions of serving the public.

Speaking before editors from Asian countries, media entities and guests at the 10th anniversary celebration of Asia News Network (ANN) at the Peninsula Hotel, Bangkok, this morning (March 6), Abhisit said proposed liberal media laws are underway. (The Nation, 6 March 2009).