<p>A provincial court has handed a four-month suspended jail term to a man who attempted to dissuade people from voting in the referendum on the junta-sponsored constitution.</p>
<p>On 7 November 2017, Ubon Ratchathani Provincial Court sentenced Wichan Phuwihan, 49, to six months in prison and a 30,000 baht fine, according to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/iLawClub/photos/pb.299528675550.-2207520000.1510039180./10159636041090551/?type=3&theater"> iLaw</a>.</p>
<p>A court in Bangkok has sentenced an anti-junta activist to four months in prison for tearing up his ballot paper during the referendum on the junta-sponsored 2017 Constitution, but later halved and suspended the jail term.</p>
<p>On 26 September 2017, Phra Khanong Provincial Court sentenced Piyarat ‘Toto’ Chongthep, an anti-junta activist, to four months in prison and a 4,000 baht fine.</p>
<p>Bangkok’s Military Court has released on bail an embattled activist who was arrested one day before he planned to petition the junta for information about the controversial Thai-Chinese railway deal.</p>
<p>On 26 June 2017, the Military Court of Bangkok granted bail to Rangsiman Rome, a key activist from the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/democracyrestoration/">Democracy Restoration Group (DRG)</a>, one day after he was arrested and detained overnight at Chanasongkram Police Station in Bangkok. Bail was set at 60,000 baht.</p>
<p>A provincial court in northern Thailand has dismissed charges against a local anti-junta activist accused of violating the controversial Referendum Act.</p>
<p>The Provincial Court of Chiang Mai on 24 April 2017<a href="http://www.tlhr2014.com/th/?p=4077"> acquitted Samat Khwanchai</a>, a 63-year-old anti-establishment red shirt, indicted for alleged violation of the Referendum Act for distributing leaflets at a parking lot of Panthip Plaza Shopping Mall in Chiang Mai on 21 July 2016.</p>
By Kongpob Areerat |
<p>After almost three years in power and billions of baht spent in drafting the new constitution, <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8qyXUI2gK-ARDBNNFllbHBRRFk/view">the 20th Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand</a> was officially enacted on 6 April 2017. Thailand has gone through 19 constitutions in less than a century and there is no guarantee that the latest one drafted by the junta-appointed Constitution Drafting Committee will be the last one.</p>
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<div>Thai police are pursuing a red-shirt moderator for allegedly distorting the content of the draft constitution.
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<p>The Thai junta leader issued an order to suspend public officials suspected of involvement in documents campaigning against the junta-sponsored draft constitution.</p>
<p>The website of the Royal Gazette on Tuesday, 26 July 2016, published <a href="http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2559/E/164/10.PDF">the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) Head’s Order No. 44/2016</a>.</p>
<p>The order suspends any public officials and local public administrators allegedly involved in anti-draft constitution letters from their posts.</p>