THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Call for referendum campaigns to be staged

Call for referendum campaigns to be staged

Pro-democracy academics on Sunday urged the authorities to allow campaigns for or against the upcoming referendum on the draft charter to be carried out and release the seven antiplebiscite student activists recently arrested.

The academics spoke at an event called the “Referendum Campaigning is People’s Right, not Illegal”. It was organised by the New Democracy Movement at Thammasat University’s Tha Phra Chan campus.
Chanvit Kasetsiri, former rector of Thammasat University, stressed that the campaigns could be staged and called on the powers that be to realise the importance of human rights and go beyond the dictatorship which has persisted in the country for decades.
Puangthong Pawakapan, a political science lecturer at Chulalongkorn University, said the rights to vote “yes” or “no” is a fundamental rights which people should have. However, she said the powers that be had deprived the people of such a right.
“We are moving backwards while other democratic countries embrace liberty and democracy,” Puangthong said.
Decharut Sukkumneod, an economist at Kasetsart University, stressed that campaigning for the referendum was legal and useful.
“Campaigning can lead to change,” Decharut said, citing a freeeducation campaign carried out by high school student activists as an example.
“That campaign led to the junta’s move to provide 15year freeeducation [from kindergarten to Matthayom 6] for people,” Decharut said.
Saowatri Suksri, a law lecturer at Thammasat University, said Clause 2 of Section 61 of the Referendum Act was not in line with criminal law principles. She said the section was vaguely written. People did not know what they could and could not do as the law could be broadly interpreted.
Lawyer Anont Nampa will on Tuesday file a second request asking police to release the seven student activists.
The activists’ supporters at the Thammasat University event expressed their support of the students’ campaign as they regard it as being legal.
The seven were among thirteen activists from the NDM and a labour union who were arrested while handing out leaflets concerning the August referendum. They were charged with violating the National Council for Peace and Order’s order 3/2558, which bans political gatherings of more than four people.
Six were temporarily release on Bt50,000 bail.
The detained students include students from Thammasat, Kasetsart, and Ramkamhaeng universities.
Their supporters will visit them at Bangkok Remand Prison on Monday.
 
RELATED
nationthailand