Human Rights Watch is calling on the newly appointed interim prime minister of Thailand to immediately restore fundamental rights as the first step toward a return to democracy. The backers of last month’s military coup have banned political gatherings and put in place media censorship rules. Soldiers were initially placed inside newsrooms at TV and radio stations. More than 300 community radio stations in Thailand’s northern provinces were closed down, and at least 10 anti-coup websites have been taken off the internet.