<p>Predictably, the military junta in Thailand has coerced, threatened, bought and cajoled part of the electorate into passing its 309-article constitution on August 19. From results to date, just over 14 million people out of the country&#39;s 45 million eligible voters crossed the box in favour of the charter. As only 25 million bothered to turn up at the poll booths, despite the saturating propaganda campaign in the weeks beforehand, this number was sufficient to carry the draft. </p>

<p><span>The draft 2007 constitution</span><span> will have half the Senate &lsquo;selected' with overwhelming powers. The contents of the draft are self-contradictory and inconsistent in principle, in particular regarding the separation of powers. The increased rights and freedoms are rhetorical, but impractical. The focus is only on addressing the immediate problems, but will lead to new ones, said </span><span>Prasit Pivavatnapanich at the forum</span><span>. </span></p>

<p>7 August 2007 <a href="http://www.media4democracy.com/mmc/index.php">The Campaign for Popular Media Reform (CPMR)</a> and <a href="http://facthai.wordpress.com/">the Freedom Against Censorship Thailand (FACT)</a> issued a joint statement demanding Thai society join to protect their own and others&#39; freedom. </p>

<p align="left">13 August 2007, Against the Sept 19, 2006 Coup Network and Thai Say No Group organized a march for against the coup and reject the junta constitution draft from Thammasat University to the Democracy Monument.</p>

<p>The debate featured representatives from the Constitution Drafting Council (CDC) and academics, who were matched into three pairs.</p>

<p>The upcoming 19 August 2007 is the date on which the Thai people have to cast their vote in the referendum for the Draft Constitution B.E. 2550 drafted by the Government and the Council for Democratic Reform (CDR).&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>As this letter reaches you, the six principal leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, an umbrella organization striving for the restoration of Democracy in Thailand in its true and full spirit, are sequestered in a high security prison at Bangkok Remand Custody, Ngam Wong Wan Rd, with lesser privileges than common convicts.</p>

<p>As this letter reaches you, the eight principal leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, an umbrella organization striving for the restoration of Democracy in Thailand in its true and full spirit, are sequestered in a high security prison at Bangkok Remand Custody, Ngam Wong Wan Rd, with lesser privileges than common convicts. </p>

<p>&quot;<span>Prachatai&quot; invited the 19 September Network coordinators to express their opinions - to discuss their motivations, campaign strategies, and their analysis of Thai politics in recent times when information has been restricted before decisive decisions must be made. </span></p>

<p>The Assembly of the Poor announced that a meeting between representatives of the villagers and state agencies, with the provincial governor as chair, had agreed to start releasing water from the Pak Mun Dam beginning on July 26, 2007.</p>

<p>The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) deplores the arrest on July 26th of nine high-ranking members of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD). Thai&nbsp;police detained the nine individuals after they had presented themselves to the Bangkok Criminal Court to answer charges relating to a recent protest.</p>

<p>I, Mr. Jaran Ditapichai, an interim National Human Rights Commissioner and one of the leaders of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), would like to draw your attention to the recent act of human rights violation against a peaceful rally organized by the UDD on last Sunday July 22, 2007. </p>