<p>A lawyer representing a former Member of Parliament for Chiang Mai was barred from listening to charges against his client who is accused of sedition over letters allegedly criticising the junta-sponsored draft charter</p>

<p>Despite the fact that he disappeared 12 years ago in 2004, the name Somchai Neelapaijit, a renowned human rights lawyer, has appeared on the voter list for the draft charter referendum.</p>

<p>After unsuccessfully trying to bar anti-junta youth activists from holding a talk on the upcoming referendum on the junta-sponsored draft charter, university staff have accused the activists of breaking the controversial Referendum Act.</p>

<div> <div>At least four universities in Thailand have complied with the junta’s censorship measures by prohibiting their students and lecturers from discussing the junta-sponsored draft charter and the August referendum.&nbsp;</div> </div> <h2>Khon Kaen University bans public discussion of draft charter &nbsp;</h2> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <div>On Saturday, 30 July 2016, Jirawat Sanitchon, Deputy Dean of Khon Kaen University’s Faculty of Agriculture, barred student activists from hosting ‘Talk for Freedom’, a public discussion on the draft charter to be held the following day, reasoning that the tal </div></div>

<p>Alternative Thai media outlets, human rights advocacy groups and a youth election monitoring group have joined forces to launch a network to observe the public referendum on the draft charter.</p>

<p>The Military Court has sentenced a close aide of the late royal astrologer involved in organising the ‘Bike for Dad’ event in 2015 to three years and six months in prison. &nbsp;</p> <p>The Military Court of Bangkok on Monday, 1 August 2016, handed a three years and six months sentence to Jirawong Watanathewasilp for offences under Article 112 of the Criminal Code, the lèse majesté law.</p>

<p>Graffiti with messages against the referendum on the draft charter have appeared in the restive Deep South provinces.</p> <p>A Facebook user with the account <a href="https://www.facebook.com/zahri.binishak/posts/1247009595332128">Zahri Bin Ishak</a>&nbsp;on Monday, 1 August 2016, posted several images of graffiti on street or road signs, roads and buildings in the Deep South.</p> <p>The graffiti simply read ‘Public Referendum’ and ‘Thai Constitution’ crossed out or followed by a cross.</p>

<div>With only a week to the draft charter referendum, Thailand’s statesmen have urged the junta to use its absolute power to enshrine coups d’état into the constitution, ironically adding that this amendment will prevent future coups.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src=" https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7224/7065116651_f9f0b2ed82_o.jpg" style="width: 640px; height: 480px;" /></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Friday, 29 July 2016, Gen Saiyud Kerdphol, the Chairperson of Thailand’s Statesmen’s Group, proposed that the junta should amend the draft constitution, which </div>

<p>Thai police have interrogated an anti-junta folk rock musician over the content of his songs before accusing him of violating the law by selling CDs at a public event on the upcoming draft charter referendum.</p> <p>A plainclothes police officer from Chana Songkhram Police Station, Bangkok, at around 6:30 pm on Saturday, 30 July 2016, arrested Parinya Cheewinkulpathom, a guitarist in the folk rock band ‘Tubtim Siam’ (Siamese Ruby), known for its anti-establishment political songs,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tlhr2014.com/th/?p=1357">Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported</a>.</p>

<div> <div>Voter lists for the August referendum face more epic and absurd struggles with dogs packs and a teenager who burned the list to repel mosquitoes. Meanwhile, some voters cannot check their names on the list due to excessively high security measures.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> </div> <h2>Dogs tear down voter lists</h2> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <div>After suffering from kids, monkeys, and heavy rain last weekend, voter lists for the August charter draft referendum have been again spoiled for a series of absurd reasons. </div></div>

<p>With three candidates for the post, Thai PBS has chosen a high ranking military officer as a new director.</p> <p>On Friday, 29 July 2016, the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) announced that the organisation has selected Lt Col Naravit Pao-in as the new Director of Administration and Finance.</p> <p>Lt Col Narawit formerly served as Deputy Director of Administration of the Market Organization under the Ministry of Interior, Director of the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) and officer in the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).</p>

<div> <div>Local authorities in the northeast of Thailand have accused an anti-dam activist of breaching the controversial Referendum Act after he criticized the draft charter on his Facebook three weeks ago. </div></div>