"Our country has a problem when it comes to academic freedom," Jaran said during a symposium on the topic on Wednesday.

"If someone studies the sufficiency economy from the other [critical] standpoint, will it be banned? In Thailand, it's not only academic freedom which is not respected - rights to political beliefs are also not respected."

 Ji, who teaches at Chulalongkorn, said his book "A Coup for the Rich: Thailand's Political Crisis" was not available at the book centre.

Jaran is processing the complaint made by Ji to the National Human Rights Commission. - The Nation.

Draft family-violence laws accepted

The National Legislative Assembly yesterday accepted for further consideration two draft laws aimed at reducing violence in the family.

Assembly member Kanchana Silapa-archa said the country had no specific law to control "actions or materials" that lead to rape, suicide or drug use. Moreover, violence among family members is ignored by outsiders because it is regarded as a private matter, she said.

The bills would place controls on a wide range of acts or materials that could cause abuse within the family, she added. They include legal punishments spousal abuse, incest and the sale of porn.