A spokesman of constitution writers has accused politicians in four southernmost provinces of lying to voters when they told them the charter would promote Buddhism at the expense of other religions including Islam.
Amorn Wanichwiwatana, spokesman of the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC), said on Friday that security officers in the Deep South told him that former MPs of a political faction made and distributed a voice clip and text urging Muslims in Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala provinces to vote against the draft constitution by raising the religious issue.
He said the two-minute clip and the text in Thai language saying the draft would make Buddhism prevail at the expense of other religions and affect Islamic activities were a lie.
Amorn Wanichwiwatana
Section 67 of the draft charter required the government to support and protect Buddhism and other religions, he said.
The materials clearly distorted the content of the draft charter and would influence the decisions of eligible voters, Mr Amorn said.
However, the CDC would let security authorities take action against the campaign as they considered it a breach of national security, he said.
The materials came from the people who did not want the draft charter to be promulgated, Mr Amorn said.