Court vs. Crown in Thailand

As the third anniversary of the May 22, 2014, coup by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) approaches, there are few signs of an end to military rule in Thailand. NCPO has used—and abused—the law and the civilian and military courts to repress dissident speech and political action. Ironically, it is the courts—the very sites where repression is codified—where activists are also presenting the deepest challenges to military rule. Activists with Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), a group established in the first week following the coup, document human rights violations and provide legal defense to those accused of political crimes. LHR’s growing record of these excesses awaits the end of military rule and is a necessary gesture towards a return to democracy and the rule of law.