YALA — A former Muslim insurgent leader was released from prison today on the final day of Ramadan after receiving a pardon from Thai authorities.

Haji Sama-ae Thanam, 63, led the armed wing of the Patani United Liberation Organization (PULO), one of the separatist groups seeking to secede three southern provinces in Thailand, until he was arrested and charged with terrorism in 1997. He was found guilty in court in 2011 and sentenced to life in prison. 

According to the authorities, Sama-ae, who is known among other militants as Ismael Gaddafi, planned numerous attacks against security officers in the Muslim-majority region known as the Deep South. Although PULO faded from the scene in late 1990s, new militant groups revived the insurgency in January 2004, and have been fighting Thai authorities in the region ever since, claiming the lives of more than 6,000 people.

After spending 18 years behind bars, Sama-ae was released from Yala Provincial Prison today. Officials said Sama-ae's sentence was commuted as part of a government effort to encourage reform among former insurgents who show good behavior in prison. 

Sama-ae was welcomed by his relatives, including his son and wife, and community leaders at the prison today. 

Panu Uthairat, sec-gen of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center, told reporters that Sama-ae thanked junta chairman and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha for the pardon, which allowed him to observe Eid al Fitr, a celebration of the end of Ramadan, with his family. 

"It is the most precious gift for his family," Panu said.

He explained that Sama-ae was rated as an "Exceptional Prisoner" by the prison, which allowed him to qualify for a government policy to pardon former insurgents' that display a willingness to reform.

"Haji Sama-ae's [pardon] today is in accordance with policy of the Prime Minister, and has been given approval by commander of the Fourth Region Army, because he has been behaving well throughout all this time," Panu told reporters. "So he received a reduction of sentence to 27 years 9 months, and Sama-ae has already served one third of that new sentence, so he qualified for a pardon." 

He added, "Sama-ae has been cooperating with authorities and providing assistance in solving problems of the three southern border provinces, and he has expressed his sincerity in building peace in the region." 

Founded in 1968, PULO fought a violent campaign to secede the three border provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat, which were annexed by Thailand in early 20th century. The organization's influence later waned in late 1990s due to internal disputes and arrests of its high-ranking members, such as Sama-ae. 

Although successors of PULO continue to occasionally issue statements in support of independent Patani, Thai authorities believe that a majority of the ongoing violence in the region is waged by other local militant networks who have no direct links to PULO. 

BANGKOK — A court in Bangkok has ruled that the previous government was authorized to censor a Yellowshirt-affiliated television show that accused Redshirts of plotting to overthrow the Thai monarchy.

The case dates back to September 2011 when the state-run Channel 11 refused to air a segment produced by Green Intelligence company, which had a contract with the channel to air news every Friday from 9-10pm.

The company also produced programs for T-News, a private TV station allied to the conservative Yellowshirt movement that campaigned against the pre-coup government led by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who was elected with the overwhelming support of the rival Redshirts in July 2011.

At the time, the Department of Public Relations, which operates Channel 11, said the show falsely asserted that Redshirts were plotting to overthrow the monarchy, and argued that the segment could affect Thailand’s national security.

In Thailand, attempting to overthrow the monarchy is punishable by death, and criticizing the royal family is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. 

Green Intelligence later sued the Department of Public Relations for financial compensation, and argued that they were "stripped of their rights to freedom of expression."

Today, Bangkok's Administrative Court ruled that Channel 11's refusal to air the show was within the scope of national broadcasting laws, which permit authorities to stop the dissemination of "content that leads to the overthrow of the constitutional monarchy system of government, or affects national security, public order and morality, or content containing nudity, causing decadence or seriously harming public health."

The court dismissed the case after ruling that the Department of Public Relations’ decision did “not constitute a violation of the contract.”

Both of Thailand’s Redshirt and Yellowshirt movements have operated their own TV and radio channels featuring news programs and live broadcasts of political rallies. 

After Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha staged a coup d'etat against the Redshirt-backed government in May 2014, he ordered the partisan TV channels off the air, with the stated aim of promoting reconciliation between the two camps. The channels were later allowed to resume operations as long as they agreed not to instigate violence, divisions, or cause "confusion."

Several months ago, a Redshirt-run TV station was shut down by the state's media regulating body after allegedly airing "divisive content" that violated the junta's new restrictions on media. The station sued the state agency that issued the order, and has been allowed to resume operations while the trial is ongoing.

BANGKOK – Thailand's Election Commission has assured the public that the referendum for the new constitution will still be held on 10 January 2016, despite a recent extension of the charter drafting period.

On Wednesday, the Thai King gave his formal signature to the military government's amendment to the current interim charter, extending the drafting process of the new constitution by 30 days. 

However, Puchong Nutrawong, secretary-general of the Election Commission, confirmed today that the referendum is still set for 10 January 2016. "We have not seen any reason to change the date for the referendum," he said. 

According to Puchong, the Election Commission will launch a referendum coordinating center on 1 September and start printing drafts of the new constitution for distribution to 23 million households across the country. The commission is also organizing a bidding war for printing houses interested in printing the ballots. 

"As for the budget for the voting, we cannot estimate it yet, because it depends on number of questions and the contents of the constitution draft that will be printed," Puchong said. "We have to wait for clarity first. But at this moment, we have calculated that there will be 98,000 polling stations and seven to eight staff per station. We expect that the budget for that part alone will cost more than 2 billion baht."

The first draft of the new constitution – Thailand's 20th since democracy was established in 1932 – was written by a committee appointed by the military junta that seized power and dissolved the previous charter on 22 May 2014.  The draft is now pending approval from the National Reform Council, another body appointed by the junta.

The junta has promised to organize a new election by September 2016 – given that the charter passes the referendum. Officials have not said what will happen if voters reject the charter draft. In the referendum for the post-coup 2007 constitution, which was also drafted by a junta-appointed council, voters were also only permitted to accept or decline the document. Critics say that many voters reluctantly approved the charter out of fear of prolonged military rule.

The current junta has also dismissed calls to lift its ban on political activities and campaigning to allow for free debate about the charter before the vote. 

Speaking to reporters, Puchong said he is concerned that the schedule for printing and distributing the charter drafts to voters will be tight. "We have to finish distributing the documents by November. When you consider that the NRC has to approve the charter draft by 6 September at the latest, the time will be rather tight." 

He also told reporters that the Election Commission is seeking help from the National Anti-Corruption Commission to ensure that the ballot and charter draft printing process will be transparent and free of any corruption. 

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BANGKOK — A top leader of the Pheu Thai Party said the ruling military junta has denied his application for an overseas trip.

According to former Pheu Thai MP Wattana Muangsuk, junta officials said he was barred from leaving the country because he has been criticizing the regime through interviews with the media. The officials reportedly told him he could file another request on 18 September. 

"I listened to them and could not help feeling pathetic about their methods of thinking and working," said Wattana, whose party led the elected government that was toppled by the junta in May 2014.

"I am not surprised that these people, who seized power from the people, have managed to cause so much damage to the country under their administration over the past year."

The junta had not commented on the incident at the time of publication. 

Shortly after staging a coup against the Pheu Thai-led government in May 2014, the junta summoned most of Thailand’s major politicians for "attitude adjustment" sessions in army camps.

Most were released within seven days on the conditions that they not participate in any political activities, and seek permission from the junta before leaving the country.

The junta, known officially as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), has granted some Pheu Thai leaders permission to go abroad, including former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. 

Speaking to reporters today, Wattana lashed out at the junta for stripping away his rights of travel enshrined under Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Thailand is a signatory party. 

"You cite my criticism of you as the reason for the ban on travel, isn't that a bit idiotic?" Wattana fumed. "I am not surprised to see that you don't understand it, because human rights are about humans. You have to be humans in order to understand rights of humans. And even though you ban me from traveling, I will never bow down to the power that does not come from the people. Nowadays, I live as a captive who has no options. It's like being told to give up my money by a thief. It doesn't mean I agree with the theif." 

He added, "I feel about you [junta] in the same way that [former Prime Minister] Kukrit Pramoj wrote in his Soi Suan Phlu column of Siam Rath newspaper on 15 March 1983. If you remember what it means, please go tell those people for me."

Wattana was referring to an angry rant penned by Kukrit in his daily column toward an army commander who he believed was steering Thailand towards Communist dictatorship. The column began and ended with the sentence "I am not afraid of you dammit."