iLAW to campaign for the police to stop arresting people expressing views on referendum

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iLaw, a non-governmental organization dedicated to promotion of free expressions will launch a campaign to urge the Election Commission to scrap an announcement regarding expressions on referendum and the police to stop arresting people who express their views on the referendum.

T30-06-16-4

iLAW director Jon Ungphakorn said Wednesday that his organization would press on with the campaign in spite of the Constitutional Court’s unanimous ruling today that Second Paragraph of Section 61 of the Referendum Act does not contravene with the interim constitution.

He noted that the EC announcement specifying what can or cannot be done during the leadup to the referendum has deprived the people of their right to free expressions, citing the recent arrest of a group of student activists while campaigning to encourage people not to vote in the referendum.

Such an announcement has rendered the referendum illegitimate and unjust as it forces people to vote.