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Thailand: New emergency regulation introduced restricting freedom of expression online; opposed by human rights organisations & injunction obtained from Thai court
On 29 July 2021, Regulation No. 29 was promulgated which restricts free speech online. A joint statement issued by human rights organisations says it seeks to impose unnecessary, disproportionate and arbitrary restrictions in violation of the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds – under the guise of combating the COVID-19 pandemic amid a state of emergency. A group of human rights lawyers and media companies filed a petition before a Thai Civil Court challenging Regulation No. 29. On August 2021, the court issued an injunction suspending Regulation No. 29.