<p>Thailand’s junta leader expressed reluctance to hold public referendum before passing the draft constitution, saying that it could cost billions of baht.</p> <p>According to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prachachat.net/news_detail.php?newsid=1430994766">Prachachat News</a>, Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, the junta leader and Prime Minister, on Thursday afternoon told the media that holding a public referendum on the draft constitution may cost the government three billion baht (about USD 89 million).</p>

<p dir="ltr">Media and civil society organisations launched a new website to allow people to have their say in the new constitutional draft while pointing out that the state agencies responsible in drafting the new charter has failed.</p>

<p>Politicians, labour unionists, academics, and others are urging the Thai junta to hold a public referendum on the draft constitution, pointing out that the people have the highest authority to determine the constitution.</p>

<p>Deputy Prime Minister Visanu Krue-ngam says that only the cabinet and the junta have the authority to decide whether a public referendum on the draft constitution should be held.</p>

<p>The draft constitution proposed by the Constitutional Drafting Committee has now been disclosed to all sorts of people, with the exception of the vast majority of the citizenry who will be expected to live under it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Thailand’s 2015 Constitution debuted last week, when the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) submitted the draft for consideration before the National Reform Council (NRC). Although it was not to be distributed to the public, the document leaked onto the internet. The draft raises several concerns, among which is the emergence of a privileged group of Thais.</p>

<p>An independent civil society organisation urged people to call for a public referendum before the junta’s draft constitution is passed to guarantee public participation and fairness of the draft. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>The Thai junta expressed reluctance about holding a public referendum for the new draft constitution, saying that it could lead to confrontations and political trouble. &nbsp;</p> <p>According to the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tnamcot.com/163736">Thai News Agency</a>, Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd, the deputy spokesperson of the Prime Minister’s Officer, on Thursday told the media that the government has to weigh the decision whether to hold a public referendum on the draft constitution carefully because it might stir up political turmoil. &nbsp;</p>

<p>KHON KAEN – In late January, about 250 Northeasterners from six provinces gathered at the conference room of the Petcharat Garden Hotel in Roi Et to participate in the drafting process of Thailand’s twentieth constitution. The military government claims to be seeking citizen participation in drafting the constitution, but these public forums to gather input from Thais across the country seem to be nothing but a false front in the Northeast.</p>

<p>BANGKOK (11 March 2015) -The United Nations Human Rights Office for South East Asia (OHCHR) is concerned that the rights of poor communities in maintaining access to land and livelihood are not being upheld and urges the Government to comply with its international human rights obligations in pursuing its land polices.</p>

<p><span>(New York, March 12, 2015) –&nbsp;</span><a href="http://hrw.pr-optout.com/Tracking.aspx?Data=HHL%3d8%2c57%3a9-%3eLCE593719%26SDG%3c90%3a.&amp;RE=MC&amp;RI=4369775&amp;Preview=False&amp;DistributionActionID=73763&amp;Action=Follow+Link" target="_blank">Japan</a><span>’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon should press&nbsp;</span><a> </a></p>