Draft Referendum Act
13 Jul 2016
The military in northern Thailand has confiscated over 3,000 letters allegedly campaigning against the junta-sponsored draft constitution and is now hunting for the senders.
11 Jul 2016
A Provincial Court has freed a Prachatai journalist and pro-democracy activists arrested over campaign leaflets for the draft charter referendum.
The Provincial Court of Ratchaburi Province on Monday afternoon, 11 July 2016, granted permission to the police to detain Taweeesak Kerdpoka, a Prachatai journalist, three anti-junta NDM activists, Pakorn Areekul, Anucha Rungmorakot and Anan Loked, and Phanuwat Songsawadchai, a student activist from Maejo University, Phrae campus.
However, at around 4:30 pm the court granted bail for each of the five for 140,000 baht.
5 Jul 2016
The Thai police detained seven student activists after failing to force a member of the activist group to remove a t-shirt with a message saying ‘vote no’ in the draft charter referendum.
At least five police officers in uniform and plainclothes on Tuesday afternoon, 5 July 2016, detained seven students of an activist group called the Association of Students for Society from Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok.
5 Jul 2016
The Military Court has released the seven embattled democracy activists after detaining them for nearly two weeks.
The Military Court of Bangkok at around 3:30 pm on Tuesday, 5 July 2016, refused the police permission to detain the seven activists, most of whom are affiliated with the New Democracy Movement (NDM): Rangsiman Rome, Korakoch Saengyenpan, Thirayut Napnaram, Somsakol Thongsuksai, Yuttana Dasri, Nantapong Panmat and Anan Loket.
According to officers from the Department of Corrections, the seven will be released on Wednesday morning.
5 Jul 2016
The Constitutional Court has declared that the controversial Draft Referendum Act is constitutional, citing national peace and order and the unique context of the August referendum, adding that the law actually fosters what it calls ‘social reconciliation.’
On 29 June, the Constitutional Court gave a unanimous ruling that Article 61 of the Referendum A
28 Jun 2016
On 23 June 2016, students and a group of labor union board members campaigned around the Bang Phli Industrial Estate to disseminate information about the draft constitution and urge people to exercise their right to vote in the referendum. But soldiers and police interrupted and stopped them. They were arrested and accused of violating Head of the NCPO Order No. 3/2558 [2015] and the Referendum Act of B.E. 2559 [2016].
25 Jun 2016
The 13 activists arrested for campaigning about the draft charter referendum could face up to 10 years imprisonment for ‘Vote No’ campaign.
Amid presence of pro-democracy crowd in front of the courthouse, the Military Court of Bangkok at around 6:30 pm on Friday, 24 June 2016, granted to the police the custody permission to detained 13 pro-democracy activists arrested for distributing ‘Vote No’ flyers to campaign for the upcoming draft constitution referendum.
21 Jun 2016
Academics and human rights advocates have demanded the authorities to amend a controversial act barring people to freely criticise the junta-sponsored draft constitution, saying that opinions from all sides are crucial for the draft charter referendum.
9 Jun 2016
Key members of Resistant Citizen, a well-known anti-junta activists group, and other leading pro-democracy activists might be charged with Computer Crime Act over performing in a music video on the draft constitution referendum.
8 Jun 2016
A Thai Election Commissioner has said that those involved in the production of a well-known Facebook page featuring a music video on the referendum might be prosecuted, alleging that the song is rude.
Somchai Srisuthiyakorn of the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT), on Wednesday, 8 June 2016, announced that the ECT will investigate a music video about the referendum on the junta-sponsored draft constitution as it might violate the Referendum Act, Matichon Online reported.
1 Jun 2016
Thailand’s Office of the Ombudsman has concluded that the Referendum Act might be unconstitutional as its ambiguity allows the authorities to clamp down on the draft charter critics.
Raksagecha Chaechai, Secretary-General of the Office of the Ombudsman, on Wednesday, 1 June 2016, announced that the Ombudsman’s Office will submit a request to the Constitutional Court to rule whether the 2016 Referendum Act is unconstitutional or not.
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