Thailand Referendum Offers Two Options: Yes Or Yes

Thailand’s military government will hold a referendum on Sunday to seek approval for a new constitution. Sure, the country has swept through 19 different constitutions since 1932, but this one is serious. If citizens vote “yes” to accepting the draft constitution, it would give their current interim, military-backed National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) party some legitimacy ahead of next year’s elections. However, human rights groups believe the new constitution would give too much power to the unelected NCPO and would give them influence beyond their interim tenure. Luckily, there is this referendum, right? Not so fast: not only are the “no” voters claiming a targeted suppression of their campaign, but it seems like their vote will be futile anyway. When Prime Minister Prayuth was asked about the possibility of the referendum resulting in a “no,” he said he would simply write another one himself.

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