NEW PEN America Report: Digital Censorship and Threats to Creative Expression Rise Against Artists in Asia
“In the last two years, we have witnessed a steady rise in threats and persecution of artists across Asia, a trend where governments are deliberately targeting and silencing cultural… More
PEN America Mourns the Death of Thai Artist, Scholar, and Art Critic Thanom Chapakdee
Julie Trebault, director of the Artists at Risk Connection, said in a statement: “We will miss him dearly and our hearts are with his family and friends during this… More
Thai University Takes Action Against Student Free Speech Advocate
A prominent university in Thailand earlier this month capitulated to a pressure campaign and retaliated against a student leader and free speech advocate in a country with strict laws… More
Arnon Nampa
Since August 2020, Arnon Nampa has been arrested and released on bail several times for his speeches at peaceful protests. In February 2021, he was remanded for violating lèse-majesté… More
Patiwat Saraiyaem
Saraiyaem was arrested on October 19, 2020 on sedition charges for his involvement in Bangkok pro-democracy protests the month prior. After being arrested and released shortly after several times… More
Somyot Prueksakasemsuk
Magazine editor and activist Somyot was arrested on October 16, 2020 for sedition for his involvement in the September 2020 pro-democracy demonstrations. He was again detained in February 2021… More
Thailand Sentences Civil Servant to 43 Years for Insulting Monarchy
“Today’s sentence serves as the newest and most outrageous example of how unjust and unwise Thailand’s lèse-majesté law is, and how repressively it is being wielded." More
Kamol Duangphasuk Mainueng K. Kunthee
In April 2014, the poet “Kunthee” was shot by assailants who approached his car in Northern Bangkok, then escaped by motorcycle. He died in hospital. The motive for his… More
Siraphop Kornaroot Rung Sila
Rung Sila was detained for writing a poem deemed offensive to the monarchy and faced 45 years in prison under the lèse-majesté law. Granted bail in 2019 after nearly… More
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So proud to collaborate with @PENamerica given the mission to support human rights and free expression, including in our schools. Grateful for all their work to support writers and to fight misinformation and disinformation. Check out their important work! https://pen.org https://twitter.com/penamerica/status/1642232215928033281
A woman in France is to be tried on charges of insulting President Macron after describing him as 'filth' in a Facebook post.
"I asked the (police) if it was a joke, I had never been arrested," she said. "I am not public enemy number one." https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230329-french-woman-faces-trial-for-insulting-macron-on-facebook #FreeSpeech
In her debut collection My Dear Comrades, Sunu Chandy (@sunuchandy) draws from her many disciplines—#poetry, #law, #activism—to invite the reader into a space that resists boundaries while living among them.
Learn more in her new #PENTen interview: https://pen.org/the-pen-ten-an-interview-with-sunu-chandy/