The regime has set up peace-keeping centres across the country to support the Election Commission's (EC) handling of the Aug 7 referendum amid complaints from critics they could be tools of the military regime to manipulate the outcome of the charter vote.
The move is seen as an attempt to curb growing resistance ahead of the referendum date.
The centres have been up and running since July 1 at provincial and district levels. Their objectives are to prevent incidents that would lead to violence and ensure a clean and fair referendum process, said government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd.
They are responsible for working out operation plans, monitoring situations, setting up security checkpoints, gathering intelligence on activities that may violate the referendum law and enforcing order at public demonstrations, he said.
Maj-Gen Sansern said the centres' operations are in line with the law and cover three phases: the pre-referendum period from now to Aug 6, voting day itself, and the post-referendum period.
"The prime minister has made it clear that fraud or obstructions to the referendum will not be allowed so the people can make a decision and cast their vote freely," he said.
The launch of the centres comes a day after Panitan Wattanayagorn, a close aide to Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, revealed the military regime is expected to lift restrictions on political parties after Aug 7 to allow them to prepare for next year's election regardless of the referendum outcome.
But the move has been met with scepticism from critics who suspect the centres are designed to manipulate the result of the referendum.
The regime faces growing pressure from activists who demand freedom of speech while the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) is crying foul that some charter elements are being distorted.
The issues drawing public attention are free education and universal healthcare policies, which are widely criticised as "inferior" to the previous charter's.
On free education, the draft charter says the 12-year state-subsidised education plan will start at preschool level and end at Mathayom 3, compared with the current one which starts at Prathom 1 and ends at Mathayom 6.
As for healthcare, the charter says the poor are eligible to receive health care services from the state free of charge. It has raised concerns the existing "universal" healthcare scheme will not be accessible to all regardless of income.
Aware these schemes may prompt voters to reject the draft charter, the regime has imposed a special order under Section 44 of the interim charter to roll out a 15-year free education policy covering pre-school to secondary level or vocational education.
The cabinet also recently approved a 1.61% increase in spending on healthcare in the 2017 budget, with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha repeatedly giving assurances universal healthcare will not be abolished.
CDC member Chartchai Na Chiangmai said attempts to distort the charter's contents continue unabated.
A CDC-sponsored animation to educate people about the draft charter's contents, for example, has been modified to cause misunderstanding about the draft.
Meanwhile, red-shirt leader Nattawut Saikuar said the peace-keeping centres might be serving the government's agenda to influence the result.
He said he believes several state officials recruited to help in the referendum awareness campaign are likely to vote the other way.
The UDD leader also lashed out at the regime for dissolving the UDD's fraud watch centres and taking legal action against the red-shirt leaders, only to set up "copycat" centres.
"Don't say the government can do it because it has the power. The UDD's centres aren't about power, but about civil rights and liberties," he said.
Another red shirt leader Korkaew Pikulthong pointed out the people who tend to cheat are those in power and it was not the government's job to monitor fraud.
The peace-keeping centres would be seen for what they are and would not be accepted by the public, he predicted.
He said the government should have allowed the red shirts' fraud watch centres to operate and work with the EC in monitoring possible fraud in the referendum instead of rushing to shut them down.
Democrat deputy leader Ongart Khlampaiboon called on the CDC Sunday to take legal action against people accused of distorting the charter's contents, instead of making public complaints.
