BANGKOK: Over 40 million people are voting in a referendum today (Sunday) on a new constitution in Thailand.
People across Thailand are going to the polls in a referendum on a new constitution, written by a military-appointed committee.
The military threw out the old constitution when it took power in 2014, after months of political instability and sporadic violence.
It said that if approved, the constitution will be a major step towards returning to full democracy. But opponents call the vote unfair as campaigning has been restricted.
The Referendum Act, brought in to govern the referendum process, criminalises “anyone who disseminates text, pictures or sounds that are inconsistent with the truth”.
Rights groups have said that new laws “restrict expression and access to information about the draft constitution”.
At least 17 people have been charged with violating the Referendum Act and face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
