Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods) has initiated the program to equip its internal auditors with extensive knowledge and expertise on food safety to ensure that its food products are safe across supply chains comply with its PS 7818: 2018: CPF Food Safety, Quality and Sustainability Management System” standard. The program will be adopted by the chicken and duck value chains to meet global compliance or obligations and to safeguard consumers including build the customer and stakeholder trust.
Mr.Siripong Arunrattana, Chief Operating Officer – Livestock Business of CP Foods stated that the internal food safety audit and competent auditors play a vital role in ensuring that safe and hygienic food comply with global standards, thereby enhancing the company’s credibility with customers and other stakeholders. The company has launched the “Smart IA-Internal Audit” project in accordance with international standard ISO 19011:2018 to enhance auditors’ abilities, competence, and comprehensive knowledge of auditing techniques.
In addition, this will standardize the efficacy and precision of the internal food safety, quality and sustainability auditing procedures. As a preliminary step, the company was assigned to implement the program in the chicken and duck supply chain. This year, the integrated duck value chain will implement the program following the integrated poultry business in Korat, Thailand.
This project is a component of the CPF Food Standard, which aims to introduce a higher level of food safety, quality and sustainability throughout its value chain in order to establish worldwide consumers trust in food safety and quality of its sustainable products.
Under the “Kitchen of the World” initiative, CP Foods’ Global Standard System Centre will continuously implement this program for three consecutive years to amplify skills and knowledge of internal auditors to become Smart Internal Auditor (Smart IA) aiming to maintain greater credibility with customers and its other stakeholders as well as to strengthen company
A high altitude balloon floats over Billings, Mont., on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. The U.S. is tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been spotted over U.S. airspace for a couple days, but the Pentagon decided not to shoot it down due to risks of harm for people on the ground, officials said Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. The Pentagon would not confirm that the balloon in the photo was the surveillance balloon. (Larry Mayer/The Billings Gazette via AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been spotted over U.S. airspace for a couple days, but the Pentagon decided not to shoot it down due to the risk of harming people on the ground, officials said Thursday. The discovery of the balloon puts a further strain on U.S.-China relations at a time of heightened tensions.
A senior defense official told Pentagon reporters that the U.S. has “very high confidence” it is a Chinese high-altitude balloon and it was flying over sensitive sites to collect information. One of the places the balloon was spotted was Montana, which is home to one of the nation’s three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information.
Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, provided a brief statement on the issue, saying the government continues to track the balloon. He said it is “currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.”
He said similar balloon activity has been seen in the past several years. He added that the U.S. took steps to ensure it did not collect sensitive information.
A senior administration official, who was also not authorized to publicly discuss sensitive information, said President Joe Biden was briefed and asked the military to present options. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, advised against taking “kinetic action” because of risks to the safety of people on the ground. Biden accepted that recommendation.
The defense official said the U.S. has “engaged” Chinese officials through multiple channels and communicated the seriousness of the matter.
The incident comes as Secretary of State Antony Blinken was supposed to make his first trip to Beijing, expected this weekend, to try to find some common ground. Although the trip has not been formally announced, both Beijing and Washington have been talking about his imminent arrival.
It was not immediately clear if the discovery of the balloon would impact Blinken’s travel plans.
The senior defense official said the U.S. did get fighter jets, including F-22s, ready to shoot down the balloon if ordered to by the White House. The Pentagon ultimately recommended against it, noting that even as the balloon was over a sparsely populated area of Montana, its size would create a debris field large enough that it could have put people at risk.
It was not clear what the military was doing to prevent it from collecting sensitive information or what will happen with the balloon if it isn’t shot down.
In a letter sent Thursday to Austin, Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., wrote: “The fact that this balloon was occupying Montana airspace creates significant concern that Malmstrom Air Force Base and the United States’ intercontinental ballistic missile fields are the target of this intelligence gathering mission. … It is vital to establish the flight path of this balloon, any compromised U.S. national security assets, and all telecom or IT infrastructure on the ground within the U.S. that this spy balloon was utilizing.”
FILE – Airman 1st Class Jackson Ligon, 341st Missile Maintenance Squadron technician, prepares a spacer on an intercontinental ballistic missile during a Simulated Electronic Launch-Minuteman test Sept. 22, 2020, at a launch facility near Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Mont. (Tristan Day/U.S. Air Force via AP)
The defense official said the spy balloon was trying to fly over the Montana missile fields, but the U.S. has assessed that it has “limited” value in terms of providing China intelligence it couldn’t already collect by other means, such through spy satellites.
The official would not specify the size of the balloon, but said it was large enough that despite its high altitude, commercial pilots could see it. All air traffic was halted at Montana’s Billings Logan International Airport from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, as the military provided options to the White House.
A photograph of a large white balloon lingering over the area was captured by The Billings Gazette, but the Pentagon would not confirm if that was the surveillance balloon. The balloon could be seen drifting in and out of clouds and had what appeared to be a solar array hanging from the bottom, said Gazette photographer Larry Mayer.
The defense official said what concerned them about this launch was the altitude the balloon was flying at and the length of time it lingered over a location, without providing specifics.
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said he was briefed Wednesday about the situation after the Montana National Guard was notified of an ongoing military operation taking place in Montana airspace, according to a statement from the Republican governor and spokesperson Brooke Stroyke.
“From the spy balloon to the Chinese Communist Party spying on Americans through TikTok to CCP-linked companies buying American farmland, I’m deeply troubled by the constant stream of alarming developments for our national security,” Gianforte said in a statement.
Tensions with China are particularly high on numerous issues, ranging from Taiwan and the South China Sea to human rights in China’s western Xinjiang region and the clampdown on democracy activists in Hong Kong. Not least on that list of irritants are China’s tacit support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its refusal to rein in North Korea’s expanding ballistic missile program and ongoing disputes over trade and technology.
On Tuesday, Taiwan scrambled fighter jets, put its navy on alert and activated missile systems in response to nearby operations by 34 Chinese military aircraft and nine warships that are part Beijing’s strategy to unsettle and intimidate the self-governing island democracy.
FILE – Taiwanese Mirage 2000 fighter jets taxi along a runway during a drill at an airbase in Hsinchu, Taiwan, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. Photo: Johnson Lai / AP File
Twenty of those aircraft crossed the central line in the Taiwan Strait that has long been an unofficial buffer zone between the two sides, which separated during a civil war in 1949.
Beijing has also increased preparations for a potential blockade or military action against Taiwan, which has stirred increasing concern among military leaders, diplomats and elected officials in the U.S., Taiwan’s key ally.
The surveillance balloon was first reported by NBC News.
Some Montana residents reported seeing an unusual object in the sky around the time of the airport shutdown Wednesday, but it’s not clear that what they were seeing was the balloon.
From an office window in Billings, Chase Doak said he saw a “big white circle in the sky” that he said was too small to be the moon.
He took some photos, then ran home to get a camera with a stronger lens and took more photos and video. He could see it for about 45 minutes and it appeared stationary, but Doak said the video suggested it was slowly moving.
“I thought maybe it was a legitimate UFO,” he said. “So I wanted to make sure I documented it and took as many photos as I could.”
__
Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Aamer Madhani in Washington and Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana, contributed to this report.
Exhibitions : 50 Years in Munich : Bridge Over Troubled Water by Somyot Hananuntasuk
A journey, indeed is what Somyot Hananuntasuk has had in his career – spanning 50 years and counting. Though not a formal retrospective, “50 Years in Munich : Bridge Over Troubled Water” gathers a collection of works by Somyot Hananuntasuk from 1972 through to 2022 – with some never before seen pieces.
Distinctively separated into three phases, the exhibition is an examination of Hananuntasuk’s life stories, one of a young Thai artist navigating his way in a foreign land, exploring his artistic voice despite the challenges and crisis he faced.
ATT 19 Art Gallery
19 Charoen Krung 30, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
BTS: Saphan Taksin MRT: Hua Lumping
19 Jan – 19 Mar 2023
Tue – Sun 11.00-18.00 (Closed on Monday)
Manchester United's Mason Greenwood runs during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Burnley at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021.(AP Photo/Rui Vieira, File)
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood will no longer face charges of attempted rape and assault, the Crown Prosecution Service said on Thursday.
In a statement, the CPS said charges which also included controlling and coercive behaviour were discontinued.
Greenwood was formally charged in October following an investigation that began in January 2022.
“In this case, a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction. In these circumstances, we are under a duty to stop the case,” the CPS said on Thursday, adding it has a “duty to keep cases under continuous review.”
The 21-year-old Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 after images and videos were shared on social media.
He was suspended by United and not permitted to train with the team. The club has yet to comment on the decision by the CPS.
Greater Manchester Police said it understood the reasoning for discontinuing proceedings but confirmed its “commitment to investigating allegations of violence against women and girls.”
Actress Savika “Pinky” Chaiyadej is back in show business again after the court allowed the 36-year-old star to remove her electronic tracking anklet while on bail from Forex 3D defrauding charge.
Pinky joined other actors to pay respect to Shiva Shrine at Suan Lum Night Bazaar in Bangkok on Thursday before the shooting of her latest film, Kumar.
“Sometimes fate plays trick on us. It’s up to how we will perceive it. I must consider my life as one soap opera and would like all to see me as a fighter. Let’s see how the drama ends,”
Pinky told reporters her experience while in prison was extreme but she’s now readjusted and the same person, adding that she’s innocent and will continue to fight the court case.
Who is Pinky Savika Chaiyadej
According to WIKIPEDIA, Pinky was born on 19 June 1986, in Bangkok. She is of Chinese, English, Indian, Mon, Pakistani, and Thai heritage. She had an Islamic upbringing as her father is Muslim.
She has two elder brothers, one of which was also in her first childhood lakorn. She graduated from Rangsit University with a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and later received a master’s degree from Chalermkarnchana University.
Pinky has been in the entertainment business since she was around 8 years old, first seen in a Sony Trinitron commercial, appearing with an ape/gorilla.
She rose to fame in her teenage years when she starred alongside Veerapaph Suparbpaiboon in the action adventure lakorn, Angkor 2, and portrayed as a princess who was cursed by a sorcerer.
On 18 August 2022, she and her mother Sarinya Chaiyadej, and her elder brother Surayuth Chaiydej were among 19 people arrested for allegedly defrauding people of money via a “Forex-3D scam”. There are 9,824 victims in this case and the total damage value is 2.4 billion baht.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd James Austin III, right, shake hands with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during a courtesy call at the Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. (Jam Sta Rosa/Pool Photo via AP)
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The United States and the Philippines announced an expansion of America’s military presence in the Southeast Asian country on Thursday, with U.S. forces granted access to four more military camps, effectively giving Washington new ground to ramp up deterrence against China.
The agreement between the longtime allies was made public during the visit of U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who has led efforts to strengthen America’s security alliances in Asia in the face of China’s increasing assertiveness toward Taiwan and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, second from left, walks past military guards during his arrival at the Department of National Defense in Camp Aguinaldo military camp in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on Thursday February 2, 2023. (Rolex Dela Pena/Pool Photo via AP)
The allies also said that “substantial” progress has been made in projects at five Philippine military bases, where U.S. military personnel were earlier granted access by Filipino officials. Construction of American facilities at those locations has been underway for years but has been hampered by unspecified local issues.
Austin thanked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whom he briefly met in Manila, for allowing the U.S. military to broaden its presence in the Philippines, Washington’s oldest treaty ally in Asia.
“I have always said that it seems to me that the future of the Philippines and for that matter the Asia-Pacific will always have to involve the United States simply because those partnerships are so strong,” Marcos told Austin.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., center, talks with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd James Austin III, third from left, during a courtesy call at the Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. (Jam Sta Rosa/Pool Photo via AP)
American leaders have long sought to reorient U.S. foreign policy to better reflect the rise of China as a significant military and economic competitor.
Thursday’s announcement comes as tensions between China and Taiwan have risen. China claims the self-ruled island as its own territory — to be taken by force if necessary — and Beijing has sent warships, bombers, fighter jets and support aircraft into airspace near Taiwan on a near-daily basis, sparking concerns of a potential blockade or military action.
China and the Philippines, along with Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, have also been locked in increasingly tense territorial disputes over the busy and resource-rich South China Sea. Washington lays no claims in the strategic waters but has deployed its warships and fighter and surveillance aircraft for patrols that it says promote freedom of navigation and the rule of law but have infuriated Beijing.
In a televised news conference with his Philippine counterpart, Carlito Galvez Jr., Austin gave assurances of U.S. military support and said the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which obligates the U.S. and the Philippines to help defend each other in major conflicts, “applies to armed attacks on either of our armed forces, public vessels or aircraft anywhere in the South China Sea.”
“We discussed concrete actions to address destabilizing activities in the waters,” Austin said without elaborating. “This is part of our effort to modernize our alliance and these efforts are especially important as the People’s Republic of China continues to advance its illegitimate claims in the West Philippine Sea.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswomen Mao Ning accused the U.S. on Thursday of pursuing “its selfish agenda” with the new arrangement. Beijing has long been criticized U.S.-Philippine military cooperation as an effort to contain its growing influence.
“The U.S. has adhered to a Cold War zero-sum mentality and strengthened military deployment in the region,” Mao told reporters at a daily briefing. “This is an act that escalates tensions in the region and endangers regional peace and stability.”
In their news conference, Austin and Galvez declined to provide more details on the agreement. The U.S. defense chief said it did not mean the re-establishment of permanent American bases but noted that “it’s a big deal.”
Galvez said there was a need for more consultations, including with local officials in provinces where visiting U.S. forces would establish a presence in Philippine military camps.
A few dozen leftist activities held a noisy protest Thursday and set a mock U.S. flag ablaze outside the main military camp where Austin held talks with his Philippine counterpart. While the two countries are allies, leftist groups and nationalists have resented and often protested boisterously against the U.S. military presence in this former American colony.
Demonstrators hold banners as they protest against the visit of U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin outside Camp Aguinaldo military headquarters in metro Manila, Philippines on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
The country used to host two of the largest U.S. Navy and Air Force bases outside the American mainland. The bases were shut down in the early 1990s after the Philippine Senate rejected an extension, but American forces later returned for large-scale combat exercises with Filipino troops.
The Philippine Constitution prohibits the permanent basing of foreign troops and their involvement in local combat. The countries’ Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement allows visiting American forces to indefinitely stay in rotating batches in barracks and other buildings they construct within designated Philippine camps with their defense equipment, except nuclear weapons.
Philippine military and defense officials said in November the U.S. had sought access to five more local military camps mostly in the northern Philippine region of Luzon.
Two of the additional camps where the U.S. wanted to gain access are in Cagayan province near Luzon island’s northern tip, across a sea border from Taiwan, the Taiwan Strait and southern China. Other camps that would host American forces are along the country’s western coast, including in the provinces of Palawan and Zambales, which face the disputed South China Sea.
“The Philippine-US alliance has stood the test of time and remains ironclad,” the allies said in their statement. “We look forward to the opportunities these new sites will create to expand our cooperation together.”
Austin is the latest high-ranking American official to travel to the Philippines after Vice President Kamala Harris visited in November in a sign of warming ties after a strained period under Marcos’s predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte.
Duterte had nurtured cozy ties with China and Russia and at one point threatened to sever relations with Washington, eject American forces and abrogate the Visiting Forces Agreement that allows thousands of American forces to come each year for large-scale combat exercises.
“I am confident that we will continue to work together to defend our shared values of freedom, democracy and human dignity,” Austin said. “As you heard me say before, the United States and the Philippines are more than just allies. We’re family.”
___
Associated Press journalists Joeal Calupitan in Manila, the Philippines and Kiko Rosario in Bangkok, Thailand contributed to this report.
TAIYUAN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) — As China’s Spring Festival holiday film “Full River Red” tops the country’s box office, a county in north China’s Shanxi province is having its moment.
Taiyuan ancient county, where “Full River Red” was filmed, has become a hot destination for tourists, many of whom are impressed by the county’s intricate, winding alleyways and distinct ancient courtyards as featured in the movie.
Aerial photo taken on Jan. 7, 2020 shows the snow scenery of the Taiyuan Ancient County in Taiyuan City, capital of north China’s Shanxi Province. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)
Directed by renowned filmmaker Zhang Yimou, the movie was released on Jan. 22, the first day of the Chinese New Year. The twist-filled film led the January Chinese box office, raking in approximately 3.43 billion yuan (about 510 million U.S. dollars).
Li Qing is one of the film-inspired tourists from Beijing. A fan of ancient architecture, she decided to go to the county the day after watching the movie.
Full River Red movie
“It’s interesting watching the actors going back and forth in the narrow alleyways, and the yard carries very local characteristics. My friends and I can’t wait to see the real location,” Li said while shooting a short video in the ancient county for uploading to her social media.
From Jan. 21 to 31, the county received over 400,000 tourists, compared with about 180,000 visitors during the last Spring Festival holiday. One-third of the tourists are from outside Shanxi Province, local statistics showed.
The Taiyuan Ancient County is part of the Jinyang Ancient City relics found in today’s Taiyuan city. It is dubbed the “Phoenix County” due to its overall layout that resembles a soaring phoenix. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)
Taiyuan ancient county, located in Jinyuan District in the city of Taiyuan, has a history of over 600 years. It is also famed as the “Phoenix County” due to its semblance to the traditional Chinese mythical creature.
Once dilapidated, the ancient county was put under restoration by the local authorities in 2013. In May 2021, the town reopened to the public after restoration.
Snow scenery of the Taiyuan Ancient County in Taiyuan City, capital of north China’s Shanxi Province. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)
“We have retained the original feel of the ancient county as much as possible so that more people can experience the local culture,” said Yang Runde, deputy head of the publicity department of Jinyuan District.
Today, ancient buildings and temples are dotted along the main street of the county. At night, buildings are illuminated, and various shops bustle along the streets. The area attracts tourists with its delicious Shanxi cuisine and traditional crafts such as glassware production, vinegar-making, and flower cakes.
Aerial photo taken on Jan. 7, 2020 shows the snow scenery of the Taiyuan Ancient County. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)
During the Spring Festival holiday, the county is hosting a lantern festival, where customers could enjoy lantern exhibitions, go shopping, taste local food, and watch folk performances.
“We have been tapping into the history and culture of the ancient county. Over the last two years, the county’s cultural tourism industry is more and more optimized, and the activities are getting richer,” said Yang Wenjie, who heads the brand marketing of the county.
The Office of the Consumer Protection Board warns on February 2, 2023 mere possession of e-cigarettes without smoking could lead to a fine of four times the value of the item and an imprisonment term of up to five years.
The board says owner will be regarded as assisting the sale of e-cigarette which is illegal [but widespread and readily available] in Thailand.
Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiwphan, Chief of legal office of the National Police warns foreign tourists and Thais that possession of e-cigarette is illegal and subject to a maximum fine of 500,000 baht and prison term of up to five years. Trairong said police has the duty to enforce the law until it’s amended.
The warning came a week after Taiwanese actress Charlene An exposed seven Thai policemen for extorting 27,000 baht from her on Jan 4, partly citing her possession of an e-cigarette.
Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiwphan
On Wednesday, a Pattaya policeman was transferred to an inactive post and under investigation for alleged extortion of 60,000 baht from a foreign tourist for possession of an e-cigarette
Prakit Vathesathogkit, chairman of The Action on Health and Smoking Foundation, said the authorities should differentiate between tourists who possess one or two e-cigarettes from sellers who have many e-cigarettes in possession.
The first group should be dealt with leniency so not to affect tourism climate while police should crackdown on shops selling e-cigarette and strictly enforce the law on the latter.
“Police can arrest those who violate the law [by selling] . This will reduce access to e-cigarettes by youth and children which has now penetrate schools.”
The construction site of the new Phnom Penh international airport in Kandal province, Cambodia.
(Xinhua/Zhu Wei)
Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said that the country continued to pursue an independent foreign policy in light of the fierce competition and uncertainties in international relations.
PHNOM PENH, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) — Cambodia continued to pursue an independent foreign policy that upholds its core interests, guarantees sovereignty and peace, and boosts economic ties, Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said Wednesday.
Sokhonn, who is also a deputy prime minister, made the remarks while briefing the National Assembly’s Commission on Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, Information and Media on “Cambodia’s Foreign Policy in the New Context of World Order.”
“Over the last five years, the world has continued to evolve to an international system with a global, multipolar and complicated nature,” he said. “This evolution has led to profound, rapid, uncertain and precarious transformations.”
Xinhua
On international and regional contexts, he highlighted the rivalry of superpowers with a myriad of security, economic and development alliance and initiatives across the regions, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On domestic front, he cited Cambodia’s successful control of COVID-19, great accomplishments of its ASEAN chairmanship in 2022, active and sincere endeavors in the capacity of ASEAN Chair and Special Envoy to address the Myanmar issue.
Aerial photo taken on June 24, 2022 shows the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway project in Kampong Speu Province, Cambodia. (Photo by Li Zhen/Xinhua)
Sokhonn also underlined a set of foreign policies to which the kingdom will continue to adhere, in light of the fierce competition and uncertainties in the international relations.
Among them are the upholding of Cambodia’s core interests in compliance with the constitution; a proactive diplomacy to guarantee sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence, peace and socio-economic development; the implementation of an independent foreign policy in line with the objectives and principles of the charters of the United Nations and ASEAN; and the strengthening of economic ties with both existing and new partners.
Political activist turned Move Forward Party MP candidate Chonthicha Jangrew removed her EM tracking anklet on Thursday after wearing it for nearly a year.
The Criminal Court finally permitted Chonthocha and at least two other political activists facing various political charges to lead a life free of electronic tracking anklet on Wednesday.
She credits to move to two factors: the ongoing call for justice reform by hunger strikers Tawan and Bam and the court decision earlier this week to allow actress Savika Chaiyadej who’s facing defrauding charges to remove her tracking anklet.
“I’m definitely not going to miss it since I had to wear it even before any verdict has been made,” Chonthicha told Khaosod English shortly after the removal on Thursday. “This shouldn’t have happened.”
Chonthicha faces two lese majese charges plus around 20 sedition charges.
Chonthicha Jangrew / Photos by Chalatip Roongbour
Who is Chonthicha Jaengraew
According to WIKIPEDIA, Chonthicha Jaengraew is a Thai human rights defender, pro-democracy campaigner, Master’s student at the Institute of Human Rights Peace studies, Mahidol University, and co-founder of the New Democracy Movement.
She has been a prominent student activist for civil and political rights since the 2014 military coup and ensuing crackdown on civil society by the military government.
Prior to the coup, Chonthicha was an environmental activist. Despite official restrictions, she and other students have continued to carry out small – scale peaceful protests calling for democracy, rule of law and an end to unlimited use of powers by the military government.
Chonthicha Jangrew / Photos by Chalatip Roongbour
She was one of the 14 students arrested by the police on 26 June 2015 after protesting during the first anniversary of the Thai military coup on 22 May 2015. After 12 days in detention, Chonthicha and her peers were released from jail on 8 July 2015; however, the charges against them stands.
Jaengraew has since been detained by authorities on multiple occasions for standing up to the junta, and demanding policies and measures that uphold democratic ideals and human rights.
