Academics pointed out that even though the junta-sponsored draft constitution passes the public referendum, it will have no legitimacy as the junta is clamping down hard on the draft critics.

The Academics Network for Civil Rights (ANCR) issued a statement on Tuesday, 26 April 2016, to condemn the authorities for confisticating flyers campaigning against the draft constitution from Bencharat Sae-Chua, a political scientist teaching at Mahidol University, at a forum on the double questions on the draft constitution at Chulalongkorn University on Monday.

After the incident, Col Winthai Suwaree, spokesperson of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), yesterday, said that such flyers are illegal under Article 61 of the vague Draft Referendum Act as it could ‘incite conflicts’.

The NCPO spokesperson also urged Election Commission of Thailand (ETC) to closely monitor any campaign against the draft charter and prosecute the campaigners if they violate the controversial Draft Referendum Act, which gives sole authorities to the ETC to regulate all campaigns on the draft.

Condemning the authorities for such measures, the ANCR stated that all public campaigns to accept or not to accept the draft constitution should be permitted as long as they are conducted peacefully.

If the junta sees that certain campaigns about draft constitution distort facts about the draft. Then they should counter such distorted information with reasons or organise critical debates on the draft constitution, but they should not prosecute the campaigners with the Draft Referendum Act.

The academic concluded in the statement that even if the draft constitution passes the upcoming public referendum, the constitution will have no legitimacy because the authorities’ measures to prosecute people who criticise the draft.