<p dir="ltr">The Thai authorities detained two persons for tearing the voting tickets for the draft constitution referendum.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) reported on Sunday morning, 7 August 2016, that the police detained a 54-year-old woman in Bang Na District of Bangkok after she tore apart the voting ticket for the draft constitution referendum.</p> <p dir="ltr">At press time, she is being interrogated by the Thai police.</p>

<p dir="ltr">As the voting for the referendum for the 21th constitution will be held tomorrow, here is what you need to know before casting your ballot.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>What has been going on with the referendum campaign lately?</strong></p>

<p>Thai police have summoned a 25-year-old anti-junta citizen from central Thailand for declaring that he will not turn up for the 7 August referendum on the junta-sponsored draft charter while a renowned anti-lèse majesté intellectual has also said that he will not participate in the referendum.</p> <p>At 11 am on Thursday, 4 August 2016, Wasin Wainiya, a 25-year-old man from the central province of Nonthaburi, reported to Mueang District Police Station in the province.</p>

<div> <div>The junta’s draft charter referendum faced an epic struggle over the past weekend as the voter lists across the country were spoiled by kids, monkeys and rain. </div></div>

<p>After the deputy junta head promised to organise nationwide debates on the controversial draft charter, a well-known anti-junta activist group challenged the junta-appointed constitution drafters to a debate.</p> <p>At 12:30 pm on Thursday, 21 July 2016, Chanoknan Ruamsap, key member of the New Democracy Movement (NDM), an anti-junta activist group, and other NDM members submitted an invitation letter to Amorn Wanichwiwatana, spokesperson of the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC).</p>

<p>After a stand-off with anti-junta activists over leaflets criticising the junta-sponsored draft charter, the Thai authorities say that the leaflets cannot be distributed as they distort facts about the draft.</p> <p>Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, of the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT), on Thursday afternoon, 14 July 2016, told the media after a meeting with the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) that leaflets entitled ‘7 Reasons Not to Accept the Draft Constitution’ are not allowed to be distributed.</p>

<p>The military in northern Thailand has confiscated over 3,000 letters allegedly campaigning against the junta-sponsored draft constitution and is now hunting for the senders.</p>

<div> <div>An Election Commissioner has claimed that the public inclination to self-censoring their opinions on the charter draft because of a climate of fear was not the commission’s fault, adding that if people want to know exactly what they can or cannot do during the referendum, they had better ask the junta.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Thursday, 30 June 2016, Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, a commissioner of the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT), told the media at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand that the Commission never suppressed a free discussion on the draft charter or the A </div></div>

<p>A cartoonist for Matichon Weekly was summoned today to explain why he penned cartoons critical of a junta-backed draft constitution, even though they were from 10 months ago and referred to a different draft.</p> <p>For lampooning that first draft, which was&nbsp;<a href="http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2015/09/06/1441526826/">rejected</a>&nbsp;by junta-appointed lawmakers in September last year, the Election Commission said cartoonist Arun Watcharasawat must report himself next week to explain his action.</p>

<div> <div>The Election Commission of Thailand has expressed concern after less than 50,000 people registered to vote outside their constituency in the upcoming charter referendum, which is a quarter of the number in the previous referendum.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Wednesday, 22 June 2016, Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, a commissioner of the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT), told the media that only 48,050 people have registered with the ECT to vote outside their home constituency in the August referendum. </div></div>

<div> <div>A group of people dressed in yellow shirts have filed an accusation with the Administrative Court against agencies allied to the junta -- the PM, cabinet, charter drafters, lawmakers, and Election Commission -- for risking Thailand’s territory under the draft constitution, adding that the referendum should be postponed until the problematic articles are fixed. </div></div>

<div> <div>More bias from the Election Commission has been found on their mobile app that educates people about the draft charter and upcoming referendum vote. The app bans users from sharing their completion certificate if they insert the word “reject [the draft constitution],” and instructs users to “please use polite words.” However, words such as ‘bastard’ and ‘bullshit’ are fair game.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The bias has been found by Internet users. </div></div>