Academics call for House dissolution, charter referendum

The six are freelance academics Nithi Eawsriwong and Charnwit Kasetsiri, Puangthong Pawakapan, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Political Science, Prachak Kongkirati, lecturer at Thammasat University’s Faculty of Political Science, Damrongsak Phetlert-anan, a lecturer at Mahidol University’s Social Innovation College, and Yukti Mukdawijitra, a lecturer at Thammasat’s Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology.

They issued the statement while attending an annual seminar at Ubon Ratchathani University.

The academics said the new election and public referendum on charter rewriting should be held at the same time.

In the statement addressed to Yingluck, the academics said the ongoing political crisis had caused all Thais to worry about a major upheaval in Thai society. The statement said the country’s laws were being violated, raising concerns that violence might break out between government officials and people and between opposing groups.

The statement said the government should hold a public referendum for the people to vote on whether there should be a drafting committee to rewrite a new charter.

The statement said the government should also dissolve the House and call a new election at the same time as a public referendum.

The two measures would prevent the crisis from escalating into violence, the statement said.