In three weeks and six days, the nation is to vote on whether to make permanent the fourth constitution draft in 26 months. However, the military government, its second Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) and the Election Commission (EC) are doing little about keeping their promise to inform the public of the contents of the most recent charter, the one that will be decided on Aug 7. Instead, the regime has highlighted a mysterious conspiracy that it claims is trying to misinform the public of the details and intent.
On every level, this will not do. From Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on down, the authorities are claiming that the booklets, first issued two months ago by the New Democracy Movement (NDM), represent a gross violation of the Referendum Act. CDC chairman Meechai Ruchupan indicated there was a conspiracy involving big money from sources he described as "mysterious". The prime minister's reaction is that "many will go jail", but seems unable to say what crimes are involved.
Mr Meechai claimed late last week that CDC officials trying to explain the draft charter to Chiang Mai residents had discovered documents that looked like those published by his commission. Mr Meechai was told they contained information that was not authorised by the CDC. The CDC staff reported the documents distorted the authorised and official line on the charter. He showed not a shred of this distortion to the public or the media. Nor has an actual booklet been displayed.
In fact, it is almost certain that these booklets discovered by the CDC workers in Chiang Mai are the same ones which have been in the public domain for two months. On May 15, the student-led NDM held a press conference to announce it was about to distribute them to the public. In no way can the booklets be mistaken for the well-known constitution text shown so often by Mr Meechai, or any of the "information booklets" distributed by the CDC and military volunteers.
From top: The CDC's text of the proposed constitution; the New Democracy Movement's booklets; the CDC's booklets. What chance of a mix-up. (File photos and FB/newdemocracymovement)
Mr Meechai concluded that anti-charter student activists could not have afforded to finance the 100-plus booklets -- a certain "someone" had to be stumping up the money. Within a day, Gen Prayut had expanded this "someone" to "masterminds".
In truth, this exaggerated talk means only that a group which doesn't like the draft charter is conducting a campaign that includes booklets. This is reasonable if not actually necessary if voters are to be properly informed.
The EC's frequent spokesman Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said the language in the booklets appears legal. But maybe -- Mr Somchai couldn't say -- the information provided is false. This is two months after the booklets were issued, and shown throughout the media. Of course, only the government has the right to define "false information".
The controversy thus is about the military regime's right to control all facts, all opinions and all speech about the draft constitution. That does indeed raise serious questions. But most are about why the regime is trying so hard to stifle open debate.
The NDM booklets that take a negative view of the proposed constitution merely emphasise Mr Meechai's duty to explain the positive side. If anything, the booklets countering CDC arguments need even wider distribution. If they have misinformation, Mr Meechai's group should pounce on the factual inaccuracies, and counter them.
The government is making a conspiracy out of normal, political intercourse. People have the right to oppose the charter. The government appointees have a duty to support it, and debate those who disagree.
The correct way to counter any "misinformation" in the booklets is with the correct information. There is no other way to have an informed electorate on Aug 7.