Good afternoon,

Two of the pro-democracy activists detained by police have been released on bail (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/08/03/headlines/headlines_30043568.php) although the others remain in prison. There have been calls by human rights activists to have them recognized as political prisoners (http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/03Aug2007_news01.php).

The Ministry of Labour is monitoring the economic health of factories and companies across the Kingdom in the wake of recent closures which have led to the loss of thousands of jobs (http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/03Aug2007_news03.php). The garment and footwear industries are bellwethers for the competitiveness of the Thai economy, being low-skill and low value added manufacturing endeavours in which the country has specialized.

Junta chief General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin has declared that the 7,700 Hmong people living in the Ban Huay Nam Khao Camp can remain there for the time being (http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=120622). However, he urged the Lao government to step up efforts to police the border more effectively.

Today’s article at Suite 101 is ‘Breastfeeding in the Philippines’ (http://philippines.suite101.com/article.cfm/breastfeeding_in_the_philippines); recently there have also been “Han Dynasty” (http://chinese-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/han), ‘Khmer Rouge Trials Begin’ (http://cambodia.suite101.com/article.cfm/khmer_rouge_trials_begin) and ‘Post-Coup Thai Politics’ (http://thailand.suite101.com/article.cfm/post_coup_thai_politics).

Back on Monday.