Raids find ‘evidence of distorted’ charter draft

The team raided the Tambon Charng Puak municipal office and five other places after arresting Samart Kwanchai, 63, for distributing the leaflets earlier in the morning in the northern city’s Muang district.

They searched the office of the mayor, the Office of the Municipal Clerk, a residence of Kachen Jiakkachorn, the mayor of Tambon Charng Puak, and a company that is a family business of a well-known local politician. 

Kachen is said to be related to Bunlert Buranupakorn, president of the Chiang Mai Provincial Administrative Organisation who is reportedly on an overseas trip.

Evidence found during a search at the company was linked to letters that allegedly distorted the charter draft’s content. These included many copies of a letter distorting content of the draft, with the same type of envelope and paper as letters mailed to local residents earlier. Previously, authorities confiscated some 10,000 such letters at the Chiang Mai Postal Office.

According to unnamed employees of the company, the documents and stationery items belong to Wissarut Kananitisarn, 35, who is a close aide to a well-known Chiang Mai politician. 

Wissarut, who allegedly produced and distributed the letters, had fled from Chiang Mai but was arrested in Bangkok.

During yesterday’s search, police also found a jacket, a backpack, a helmet and a pair of slippers that looked the same as ones used by a man who put letters with distorted details about the draft into postal boxes at different locations in Chiang Mai. The man’s acts were caught on security cameras.In Lampang, police and military officials also had an arrest warrant approved by the Lampang provincial court to arrest Pongpan Jirawang, 33, for attempting to cause disturbances during the upcoming public referendum.

He was arrested at a house in Tambon Banthi, in Lamphun’s Muang district.

Meanwhile, Democrat Party deputy leader Kalaya Sophonpanich said that she had not found any booklets that distorted the charter draft in the Central and Northeastern provinces. She said she visited constituents there every week and asked the party candidates and former MPs of the party who told her they had not found anything unusual. She said villagers there had a high awareness of national politics and they would have reported to the party if they had found any such booklets.

Democrat Party deputy leader Sathit Pitutecha said that former MPs of the party told him there were no booklets distributed in their provinces. Half of the constituents in the central region did not know if the charter draft would pass the referendum and most people planned to follow the advice of those whom they respected on whether to accept or reject the draft. About 70 per cent did not express their opinion, afraid of breaking the law.

Pattani Provincial Governor Suriya Amornroj yesterday led top officials in the province including 1500 students to rally on a provincial road (Pattani to Hat Yai) in the campaign to encourage voters to exercise their rights on August 7.

Meanwhile, Election Commis-sioner Supachai Somcharoen said the EC is continuing its public relations campaign to promote voting in the referendum. A major campaign will be carried out on August 4 at the Royal Plaza in Bangkok and six major provinces – Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Songkhla, Pattani and Chon Buri.

He said the EC expected a voter turnout of 80 per cent. He expressed confidence that there would not be any destruction of eligible voter lists, arson attacks, or any blocking of voters going to cast their ballots.

The Open Forum for Democracy Foundation (P-NET) yesterday issued a statement, expressing concern about liberty and public participation problems in the upcoming referendum. The statement said the public did not have the courage to freely participate in expressing varying views over the charter draft due to ambiguous laws and regulations.