Red-shirt activists (Source: sigmalive.com)Bangkok (VNA) – Thai police were deployed on June 19 to prevent the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) from launching centres monitoring fraud in the August 7 referendum on the new constitutional draft.
UDD, or the Red Shirts, planned to inaugurate its centres and broadcast the inaugural ceremony live on its Peace TV based at the Lat Phrao Imperial mall at 10am.
However, police arrived at the department store at 9am to stop the action. They asked the red-shirt activists not to hold any activity claiming that it would breach an order of the National Council for Peace and Order which bans political gathering of five people and more.
Red-shirt supporters were requested to get out of the studio before the police then occupied and guarded the activity venue.
Earlier on June 18, after returning from his India visit, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha announced that fraud-monitoring centres of the Red Shirts operate illegally.
On March 29, Thailand’s Constitution Draft Commission announced the new draft constitution, which is expected to be the solution to a decade-long political crisis.
According to the plan, the 105-page draft with 279 clauses will be put to public referendum on August 7.
Thailand’s Election Commission issued regulations, which took effect on May 2, on referendum, including prohibiting the distortion of the referendum’s contents, holding meetings intended for political disturbance, or carrying out campaigns influencing the referendum.
If the draft constitution is passed in the referendum, a general election will be held in July 2017 as pledged by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha.-VNA
